Church of St Saviour-on-the-Cliff, Shanklin

The Church of St. Saviour-on-the-Cliff, Shanklin is a Grade II Listed parish church in the Church of England located in Shanklin, Isle of Wight.HistoryThe church dates from 1869 to 1905 and was designed by the architect Thomas Hellyer.The Foundation stone was laid on Ascension Day 1867.The first phase comprising the Nave, Chancel, Vestry, and Organ Chamber was completed at a cost of £2,789. Bishop Vincent William Ryan, the first Bishop of Mauritius, consecrated it on 7 May 1869.The present Pulpit dates from 1903 and was designed and carved by Miss Editha Plowden. The original pulpit was taken to St John's Church, Bournemouth where it can still be seen today.The South aisle and Porch were added in 1871 and the North aisle and Church Hall in 1876. The Baptistry and the proposed Narthex in 1883 were added in 1905 and was the last of the major building work to take place.The church, rather surprisingly, survived the war years with only a few windows being damaged. The damage to these windows can still be seen in the East window of the Memorial Chapel and the West windows at the back of the church. Damage to one of the Baptistry windows is also visible.The Chancel Arch contains the only example of Victorian painted text work in the church. " Draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith" (Hebrews 10 22).The true glory of St Saviour's can be seen on the interior, which has been richly and generously furnished over the years. The full scale of Hellyer's church in the Early English style can be appreciated by standing at the entrance to the Galilee Porch and looking towards the High Altar.

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