St John the Baptist Anglican Church, Frome, Somerset c1860-1866
When the Revd Bennett took over St John the baptist in 1852 it was in a terrible state of disrepair, and he devoted the rest of his life to renovating the church. James Forsyth was engaged between 1860 and 1866 to produce multiple carvings within and without the church.
He carved four statues of saints for the west wall, a pieta and madonna and child for the Lady Chapel, the reredos on the main altar and 18 medallions ( meant to be used as teaching aids ) that show the miracles on the North wall and the Parables on the South wall inside the church
His finest achievement, and unique in an Anglican church in the UK, is the Via Crucis ( 'Way of the Cross' ) carved in the church yard. This was achieved after Revd Bennett organised the purchase and demolition of several properties to allow the steps and carvings to be housed in a stone structure that leads from the street up to the North entrance
He carved four statues of saints for the west wall, a pieta and madonna and child for the Lady Chapel, the reredos on the main altar and 18 medallions ( meant to be used as teaching aids ) that show the miracles on the North wall and the Parables on the South wall inside the church
His finest achievement, and unique in an Anglican church in the UK, is the Via Crucis ( 'Way of the Cross' ) carved in the church yard. This was achieved after Revd Bennett organised the purchase and demolition of several properties to allow the steps and carvings to be housed in a stone structure that leads from the street up to the North entrance
Statues of the four saints
The reredos on the main altar : the left hand panel is Moses bringing forth water, the middle panel the last supper and the right hand panel gathering manna in the wilderness
Pieta and Madonna and Child
The Medallions
the via crucis
photographs of the via crucis by A.S. Ashby of Frome
©Archives of St John the Baptist Frome.
other documents ©Archives of St John the Baptist Frome.
