# Throop reformed church/school April 2012(Dorset)



## jammy (May 2, 2013)

THROOP CHURCH / SCHOOL / MANSE. MUSCLIFFE LANE. BOURNEMOUTH. DORSET. Passed this one by chance recently so went back for a look, external splore only as locked up tight....then some research on the web and found this,(cut and pasted info,not mine...) I seem to be getting a strange taste for churches and graveyards of late...Quite a quick mooch but on a nice sunny day


The church was built in 1828 as Throop Independent Chapel, later Throop Congregational Church, and later still, Throop United Reformed Church.
It is grade II listed with listing notes stating it was built in 1819, although other sources say it was built in 1828.
In its early years a white flag on a pole was raised above the building to alert those in the surrounding countryside that a minister was on his way to take a service.
A Sunday School built to the rear in 1830 was demolished and rebuilt in an enlarged form in 1866 and is also grade II listed. 
The church closed c2010 and was boarded up, along with the school and the neighbouring grade II listed manse, said to have been built c1820, although c1830 is more likely.
As is usually the case in these circumstances the buildings attract the wrong sort of attention and start to deteriorate quite quickly.
The graveyard to the rear of the church, and the garden of the manse soon became overgrown which angered many, not least those with loved ones buried there.
A team of volunteers, galvanised by the long standing local councillor Ron Whittaker, cleared the grounds in 2012.
The owners of the church and manse, The United Reformed Church [ Wessex ] Trust claim they do not have the funds to refurbish and reopen the building.
Both councillor Whittaker and the Bournemouth Civic Society are leading a campaign to resolve the issue


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