It was some time ago now that I looked over Bagshot church. The present building dates from 1883 - there was a little Georgian chapel previously - and was paid for by Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, whose family had its own door to get in, leading direct from the carriage drive to Bagshot Park; it's no surprise that the church has a lot of royal and noble memorials scattered about. The tradition is moderate Catholic, encouraged by Fr Andreas the incumbent: a few years ago he was given a thurible by the local priest of the Roman observance who'd 'needed help with the hinges of his confessional'. He tutted on noticing that the aumbry hadn't got a candle next to it, disavowing responsibility. Apart from the odd detail of decoration probably the most striking items in the building are the spectacular reredoses; certainly the one in the Lady Chapel was made by the Warham Guild, and I wonder whether the rather nice cope I found in the vestry is Sarum blue.
I didn't ask Andreas about the prayer bowl I found in front of the altar and its heterogeneous collection of bits. A cursory glance would suggest it's an Easter Garden but it was the wrong time of year. It does contain - taking us back to the Shrine of Blessed John Keble at Church Crookham - the tiniest ever copy of The Christian Year, possibly a relic in its own right.
I think the cope is meant to be festal with all that gold in the background. If it is the only cope in evidence at the church that might strengthen this theory. The best vestments at St Marys, Primrose Hill, the English Use shrine church are not dissimilar. The blue used in Advent by right thinking churches is generally rather darker than that. Thank you for the pictures of the English altars which are rather splendid. I'm afraid I always associate the church with a truly grim ring of bells which are bad even by the not very high standards of Surrey!
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