Photograph of St Peter's Church, Ovington
Taken about 1866
The Victorian church at Ovington was built at the expense of the Lady of the Manor, Mrs G F Hewson of Ovington House in 1865-6. The architect was John Colson, much of whose work was on church restoration and rebuilding, principally within Hampshire; St Peter's was one of about twenty new churches he designed between 1858 and 1876. Of the four figures standing in the churchyard the man holding the plans may be Colson.
The photograph looks north-east, showing the distinctive south-west entrance porch and tower with the wooden belfry above, its small spire clad in shingles. It is possible to make out the wide bands of fish-scale tiles and decorative ridge tiles on the roof of the nave and transept. To the left the old church has not yet been demolished.
The photograph was taken by Winchester photographer William Savage (1817-87) and is found in an album of his work.
