St. Matthew's Church

St. Matthew's Church is a classicist church from the early 19th century. The tower and west portico were built by Thomas Cundy Jr between 1826 and 1829, modelled on St John's, Smith Square in Westminster, while the nave and apse were built in 1911, by J. B. Gridley. In 1970, the church had to be demolished as part of the construction of the reservoir, as its floor was below the proposed water level. Following public protest, the lower half was filled with stones and rubble, and a concrete cover was built just below the level of the windows. An embankment was built around the church, giving it a prominent place at the water's edge. The structure once housed a museum of the history of Rutland Water.