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Ranmore, St Barnabas

Address: 
Ranmore Common Road, Ranmore, RH5 6AZ
Number of bells: 
8
Tenor Weight: 
20½ cwt
Ringing Times: 

Sunday Service: 10.30 - 11.00 am (1st Sunday)
Other ringing by arrangement.

Ground floor ring: 
No
Tower Entry Details: 

Entry is via door on the outside of the church, on the South side of the Chancel

Contact: 

Tower contact: david [at] luscr [dot] org [dot] uk (subject: Enquiry from Surrey Association web site) (David Fairhurst)

Location: Map Ref: TQ146504

History

The church was consecrated in 1859, having been built by George Cubitt MP who became the first Baron Ashcombe. It was designed by Gilbert Scott, the noted Victorian architect, and is considered to be one of his greatest works. It is a splendid example of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture. The Church was intended to serve solely the Cubitt family and the staff of the Denbies Estate, which, at its most active period, at the turn of the century, numbered 300. After the Second World War the original Denbies House was demolished, and in 1962 the church was handed over to the Church Commissioners. It is now part of the United Benifice with St. Martins Dorking, sharing the Vicar, who is known as the Rector in the Parish of Ranmore. In the early sixties, making the church redundant was seriously considered, and in 1964 the bells were declared unringable, mainly because of a rusted girder supporting the frame. In 1990, as a result of the efforts of the Guildford Diocesan Guild, together with the support of the new owner of Denbies, Adrian White, and other bodies including the Surrey Association, the Bells were restored. They were originally cast as a complete set by Mears and Stainbank in 1859, and after the restoration, a new band of ringers was recruited. The church seats just over 100 people in the nave, but as the population of Ranmore is sparse, the congregation is now formed by people from a wide surrounding area, who have an affection for the church and wish to see it remain active in every sense. Apart from the architectural detail and the original Walker organ, a notable feature is the South Transept which was converted into a Memorial Chapel in 1920 for the Second Baron Ashcombe’s three eldest sons who all died in the First World War.

Transport

  • By Road: Aim for Dorking, using the A24 and then A2003. Ranmore and the church are signposted 2 miles up on the hills to the north and overlooking the town. Park on the grass area opposite the church, or alongside the road.
  • By Bus: Hourly service from Dorking.
  • By Train: To Dorking from Waterloo, and Deepdene or Dorking Town on the Reading-Redhill-Gatwick route. Transfer to a bus is then a necessity.

Facilities

In Dorking there are numerous pubs, restaurant and fast-food style outlets. Denbies vineyard just outside the town on the A24 is of interest and has restaurant facilities.

Ranmore, St Barnabas