Relhan Collection : 4 Great Abington. View of church with Little Abington church in background

Relhan, Richard, 1782-1844

Relhan Collection

<p style='text-align: justify;'><p>1816</p><p>In Relhan’s drawing Little Abington church can be seen through the trees from the churchyard of Great Abington, as it can, just about, today (2018). The parkland around Gt Abington Hall was landscaped by Humphrey Repton before 1803 and the young trees around the church could be a part of this original scheme; the mature Wellingtonia in the churchyard is a survivor today. The church and tower are C13, the walls on the S side repaired 1665 (note the paired buttresses), but it was still reported to be in poor condition in 1685. It was ‘<i>very dirty</i>’ in 1783, and the windows were decaying. Relhan shows the newly laid plain tiles of the nave roof but the chancel is still thatched. The tower was repaired 1897 and the whole church restored 1895-1900. The table tomb Relhan shows in the churchyard remains.</p><p>Bradley and Pevsner 2014; Davis EM pers comm; VCH 1978</p></p>