The Main Worship Area

The North Wall

Only the north wall was left when the Normans extended the church in about 1100 AD, which was raised and extended it to its present length (as far as the tower arch). By 1220 AD the east end (which is now the Chapel) was completed and in the 14th century an aisle was added on the south side, again, as shown in the plan of the church.

To the North of the main worship area can be seen the portable wooden font, which is designed for use in front of the main table.

Hanging on the wall near the font is a roll of "Incumbents of Yateley" which includes Chaplains, Perpetual Curates and Vicars going back to 1226, which is as far as we can go. This replaces a board which was burnt in the fire. The oldest part of the church, the Saxon wall, runs from just behind the font as far as the organ. The door of the Saxon church was where the first window is now and the small window near the organ is also Saxon. It was obscured by a monument and blocked up on the outside for at least two centuries, but was opened up during the rebuilding of the church after the fire. The large windows are replicas of the originals which were dated about 1350 and 1500. The organ and separate console were built to our specification by Mitchell's of Bideford during the latest rebuilding.

In 2002, a large patch of damp was noticed on the North Wall, and on the East Wall of the Chapel. This was cause by several things, including a modern concrete render that had been applied to the exterior. Consultation with architects from the Winchester Diocese showed that the wall is supposed to be slightly damp, as that is the way that the Saxon wall was originally designed to work (no damp proof course in those days!), but it must be able to "breathe". The modern render had stopped that happening, so it had become over-damp in some places on the inside. This also allowed the church a brief look at some of the underlying archaeology of the areas surrounding the walls during the investigations. This showed that the basic structure was in quite good condition for it's age.

The Church

The arch behind the table was put in as part of the 1878 restoration and the wrought iron grille was made in 1973 by Apprentice Tradesmen of the Royal Engineers at Chatham to their own design.  The new Reredos screen (also behind the table) was made to fold back so that the dais may be cleared if required for concerts, plays, etc. On the screen is a cross made by a former parishioner out of timbers from the old church. The dais furniture (except for the chairs), the wooden font and the pews that were installed after the fire were designed by our Architect, Mr. Derek Wren, who oversaw the rebuilding. In 2003, the pews were replaced by modern chairs, as these allow significantly more flexibility in worship layouts, and make arrangements for special services, such as weddings and funerals much easier At the same time that the new chairs were purchased, the dais was carpeted to match the colour of the chairs.

The altar and the lectern falls were designed by a former parishioner. The banner which hangs on the east wall is one of several designed and made by a group of parishioners. They are changed to follow the Church's Calendar. The rest are currently stored in the Bell Tower.

The heating of the main parts of the building is by an underfloor water system heated by gas boilers, with separate sections for Church, Chapel and Hall. In 1985 acoustic treatment was installed and a new sound system which includes an induction loop for those with hearing aids.

In 2006, a computer projection system and large projector screen were installed. The projector can be seen suspended from the roof between the loudspeakers. However, the projection screen, which is some 3 metres square, is hidden. It rolls up automatically into the roof space above the arch and is practically invisible when not in use!