Country Churches of NZ 86. St. James's, Cust, Canterbury

I wrote and illustrated Country Churches of New Zealand. It was published in 2002 by New Holland, Publishers and is still on sale in bookshops. The publishers have kindly agreed to me re-publishing some of the book’s images and descriptions in this blog.

BELFRY OF ST JAMES'S, CUST

St. James's is a lovely old Anglican church built in 1865 to Benjamin Mountfort's plans. His designs were also used to extend the church, adding transept, chancel and vestry in 1874.

I felt that because it rambles almost untidily along the riverbank above the Cust River it would make an unrewarding watercolour, but I thought the slim and elegant detached belfry quite a different matter, its brickwork contrasting nicely against limestone masonry blocks from Mount Somers.

It replaced a weather damaged, wooden structure in 1882. It is said to have one of the best-toned bells in Canterbury - the gift of General Sir Edward Cust, one of the founders of the province.

© DON DONOVAN
donovan@ihug.co.nz
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