St Cuthbert, Copnor, Portsmouth

All Saints, Hinton Ampner

Cathedral Church of St Michael & St George, Aldershot

All Saints, Fleet

 

St Nicholas, Bishop's Sutton

All Saints, Bighton

St Andrew, Medstead

St Mary, Bentworth

Bentworth is a delightful village with an interesting church, just north west of Alton.

The church itself has a nave with north and south aisles, and chancel. Dating from the 13th Century, the aisles have four bays each, of robust round piers, scalloped capitals and pointed arches. The chancel east window has delicate shafts inside, alongside which is a piscina with a trefoiled head with dogtooth - an unusual form. The tower arch is later, as is the font, which dates from the early 16th century and has attractive cusped arches on the sides. The font also has a delightful cover, dated 1605.

The porch arch is worth a closer look for the graffiti which is carved into the outside; alongside the usual initials, there are several representations of the cross on a hill, and what might be Marian ("M") markings - apotropaic marks, intended to ward off witches. There are dates inscribed ranging from 1597 to 1967. Outside in the churchyard, tucked away under a tree, is the grave of George Cecil Ives (1867-1950). A poet, writer, penal reformer and early homosexual law reform campaigner, he was an acquaintance of Oscar Wilde and a friend of Edward Carpenter, and deserves to be better known.

The church is part of the united benefice of Bentworth, Lasham, Medstead and Shalden. Services are held every second and fourth Sunday at 10am.

St Mary, Church Street, Bentworth, Alton. GU34 5RE

St John the Baptist, New Alresford

 

St Thomas, Lymington

St Thomas is a prominent landmark on Lymington's High Street, with its gothic chancel and south-west tower, topped by a pretty 17th century cupola. Substantially rebuilt in the 18th century, the interior is a happy blend of Gothic and Neo-Classical.

The earliest parts of the church date from the mid-13th century, and the chancel and north chapel (14th century) have a mix of Early English, Decorated and Perpendicular Gothic windows. More early Gothic windows can be found in the west wall, now inside the narthex. The battlemented south-west tower was added in 1670 (its cupola later, possibly in the early 18th century); the nave, with its wide aisles and galleries, was rebuilt in the late 18th and early 19th century; and a narthex was erected at the west end in 1811. 

The nave is a curious mix of architectural styles: the south windows date from the 19th century and have Geometric tracery, which at least gives the exterior some architectural harmony. But the galleries are supported on two tiers of paired Tuscan columns, which also function as arcades, giving the interior a thoroughly Classical feel. The panels of the gallery fronts record benefactors of the church through the ages. The west gallery contains an impressive, substantial organ - originally built in 1831, but modified in 1847, 1862, and most substantially in 1911, when it was enlarged to its present size.

Most of the furnishings are from the 19th century, though it has a an elegant 18th century baluster font and the Royal Arms of George I, dated 1716. The chancel walls - unplastered but whitewashed - are crowded with wall monuments. One of these - commemorating Captain Josias Roger (d. 1795) - is of a female figure against an urn: she gets rare praise from Pevsner, as "exquisitely elegant".

The church today has a regular roster of church services, reflecting both traditional choral traditions and modern, informal worship styles and a Messy Church for children, alongside regular concerts, talks, and other events. On my visit, it was set up for a choral concert in aid of a local hospice.

St Thomas, High Street, Lymington SO41 9ND

All Saints, Milford-on-Sea

 

St Saviour, Brockenhurst

St Mary the Virgin, Stratfield Saye

St Mary's is very much an estate church, and sits half a mile from the main house in the grounds of the Stratfield Saye estate. This has been the home to the Dukes of Wellington since the estate was purchased by the first Duke in 1817, with funds voted by a grateful Parliament following the Battle of Waterloo. All but the first and sixth Dukes are interred here.

The church was built to replace a mediaeval church in 1754-8 by the first Lord Rivers (the previous owner of Stratfield Saye). Built of red brick on a Greek-Cross plan in a very restrained classical style, it has a shallow, octagonal dome, and a handsome entrance portico or three arches beneath small round windows. The overall effect is strikingly modern, and resembles inter-war Underground station design (and that is a complement).

The interior is more conventionally chapel like, full of box pews painted a blueish-green, but otherwise very plain. The main points of interest are the memorials, the largest being that of Sir William Pitt (d. 1636) and wife, retained from the earlier church (a bold early classical piece with alabaster effigies). This is flanked on one side by a wall monument to the Pitt family dated 1680, and on the other by an impressive piece by John Flaxman for George, Lord Rivers (d. 1803) with two life-size standing figures in Roman attire. 

The memorials to the Dukes of Wellington and other members of the Wellesley family are altogether more modest affairs, and a brass plaque in the north transept records those family members buried in the vault, including Catherine (d. 1831), wife of the first Duke. The alabaster stemmed font is Victorian, in the style of Wren.

The church has a monthly all age service on the first Sunday, except in January and August. Access is via a drive from the Copse, just south of the main estate entrance, through automatic gates.

St Mary the Virgin, Church Road, Stratfield Saye RG7 2DA

All Saints, Kingsley

All Saints sits 5 miles west of Alton on the road to Bordon. It's a good representative of those small Victorian parish churches, built by estate owners, in their dozens in villages across England.

Built in 1876 to replace the older parish church, it comprises a nave, chancel and south porch. The exterior is of polygonal stonework with ashlar and ironstone banding. The west end is a bell turret with twin openings, and what looks like three bells. Windows are filled with plate tracery. The interior is a bit of a surprise: the nave has rather startling exposed crimson brick, with patterns executed in yellow brick, leading to a more restrained whitewashed chancel. The fittings are all Victorian.

The church sits in a well-kept churchyard on the edge of the village, next to the starting point for a number of walking routes around the delightful Kingsley Common. It is in a combined benefice with Oakhanger, with which it shares regular Sunday services (though, at the time of writing, further parish reorganisation is on the cards).

All Saints, Forge Road, Kingsley GU35 9ND

St Edward the Martyr Orthodox Church, Brookwood Cemetery

Brookwood Cemetery is the largest in the UK, covering some 500 acres. It is a Grade 1 listed park in its own right, and is magnificently landscaped. It is also home to a church with origins that are, to say the least, extraordinary.

Tucked away next to what was until the 1940s the Necropolis railway station, is the shrine church to Saint Edward (962-978), the Anglo-Saxon king and martyr. Just 12 or 13 when he became King, his legitimacy was contested and he was murdered a few years later at or near Corfe Castle. The subsequent history is fascinating, but too long to recount in detail here: suffice to say that Edward's remains received a hurried burial at Wareham, and a rather more magnificent reburial in Shaftesbury Abbey 20 years later.  Hidden during the dissolution, what are reputed to be Edward's bones were rediscovered in 1931 by John Wilson-Claridge. A dispute over where they should be reinterred meant that, for many years, they rested, rather ignominiously,  in a bank vault in Woking.

Negotiations finally concluded that they should be interred by the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia, and what was then a mortuary chapel was purchased with the aim of housing the bones, and establishing a small monastic community to care for them.  The enshrinement took place in 1984. This is now under the jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Church.  The building itself was built in 1909 and is in a charming chalet style, with the interior comprising exposed brick and wood - albeit now hidden behind a multitude of beautiful icons.

As well as the shrine and monastic community, which holds its daily services here, the church is home to a multinational orthodox worshipping community. Visitors are welcome but asked to respect the sanctity of the church. On our visit, we were very warmly welcomed by one of the brothers. 

St Edward, St Cyprian's Avenue, Brookwood, GU24 0BL

All Saints, East Stratton

Built by Sir Thomas G Jackson for Lord Northbrook in 1885-90, All Saints is a lovely example of a late-Victorian village church, prettily located in a spacious churchyard.

The church itself is largely Perpendicular in style, made of knapped flint with Chilmark stone dressings, and a pretty timber porch. The well-proportioned tower with its shingled broach-spire is sadly hidden on the side away from the road. Inside, the church comprises a nave, chancel, and a short 3-bay north aisle.

The interior contains interesting early electric light fittings, suspended on chandeliers of decorative wrought ironwork, which lend an Arts-and-Crafts touch. Lord Northbrook himself (1826-1904) is commemorated by a memorial tablet in the chancel: a prominent Liberal statesman, he was Viceroy of India (1872-76) and First Lord of the Admiralty (1880-85).

Located in the Upper Dever benefice, the church has a service every two weeks, with Evensong at 6pm (second Sunday) and Holy Communion at 10am (fourth Sunday). The church is normally open for private prayer during daylight hours.

All Saints, Church Bank Road, East Stratton SO21 3FJ

All Saints, Dummer

Located south west of Basingstoke and just off the M3, the pretty village of Dummer is home to a church rich in interest and full of character.

Mentioned in the Doomsday Book, the present building dates from around 1200, albeit with additions throughout the mediaeval period. Entered through a pretty 15th Century west porch, the first impression is one of gloom, thanks to the large 17th century gallery dominating the west end, which also contains the massive timber framing for the bell turret. The 13th century chancel arch is framed on the north by a fine 14th century niche, thought once to have been the reredos of a nave altar. On the south is a restored squint, rounded headed on the east side but decorated with cinquefoil cusps to the west. The chancel has three lancets in the east wall, filled with stained glass by Kempe, and a cusped piscina. Most impressive, however, is the 15th century rood beam and canopy above the chancel arch. This is a rare survival, and well preserved: it has twelve panels, decorated with bosses picked out in gold. 

The church has furnishings rich enough to match the architecture. Pride of place goes to the early  pulpit, dated to 1380 and with traceried panels. It is one of the oldest in England. Famous preachers who have used it include George Whitfield (1714-1770), who founded the Calvanistic Methodists, and John Wesley. The communion rails are 17th century, and Royal Coat of Arms in the chancel are those of Charles II (dated 1672). 

There are numerous small brasses, including one to William Moore, alias Dummer (d. 1508) and his wife, Katherine Brydges. Oddly, the space left for the date of his death was never filled in. In the nave, another brass records William Moore (alias Dummer) and his wife Ellen (d. 1427), in rhyming Latin verse. The nave has the remains of a 14th century tomb recess and also, beneath the gallery, a rare 16th century hinged palimpsest brass, recording different memorials on each side: on the rear, it commemorates Robert Clerk, priest, who dies c. 1500; on the front it recall Allys (Alice) Magewyk (d. 1591).

The church is in the benefice of Farleigh, Candovers and Wield, which contains 9 churches, and details of activities and service times.

All Saints, Farleigh Lane, Dummer, RG25 2AF

St Michael, North Waltham

 St Michael's sits atop a small rise at the north end of North Waltham, surrounded by a churchyard which was full of daffodils and primroses on my visit during Holy Week.

The church was rebuilt on the site of its mediaeval predecessor in 1895-6 by the prolific Winchester architect John Colson (1820-1895), responsible for the rebuilding of several of Hampshire's churches in the 19th century. The design is a simple double cell of nave and chancel, with north aisle and porch, topped with a shingle spire.

Colson reused a number of elements from the earlier building, most notably two of the arcade arches of c. 1200, which have robust drum columns, cushion capitals and moulded bases, supporting pointed arches. The chancel is of around 1300 with some original details alongside the 19th century east window and the rather elaborately decorated replacement chancel arch, all zig-zag and dogtooth. The chancel also has a fine surviving Decorated piscina, with an elaborately crocketed gable of surprising richness. At the rear of the church is a 15th century Perpendicular font, with pretty quartrefoils - this was brought from nearby Popham.

The church is part of a united benefice with Steventon, Ashe and Deane. It hosts services services every Sunday, as well as a Messy Church for children and families, and children's holiday clubs.

St Michael's, Church Road, North Waltham, RG25 2BL

St Swithun, Martyr Worthy

Another of the Itchen Valley's picturesque churches, St Swithun's was mentioned in the Domesday Book. The present building dates largely from the late 12th Century, and sits above a heavily wooded lane which slopes gently down to the river.

The church has a nave and apsidal chancel: the former is the original Norman work, and contains fine north and south doorways with zig-zag and diamond decoration respectively. The chancel was added in 1865 and is clearly distinguished outside by its knapped flint walls (the original Norman walls being rendered). The nave has 15th century two-light windows in the west, north and south walls (the remainder being Victorian). The most distinctive feature is, however, the fine late Victorian bell-turret of 1871, which contains three 17th Century bells.

The church forms part of the Itchen Valley team ministry, with 3 services a month, complemented by those in Avington, Easton and Itchen Abbas.

St Swithun, Church Lane, Martyr Worthy SO21 1DY

St John the Baptist, Itchen Abbas

 St John's sits in a picture postcard position, just above the River Itchen, between Alresford and Winchester. 

Although there has been a church on the site since at least the 12th century, the present cruciform building dates largely from Victorian rebuilding, beginning with the chancel in 1867, followed by the nave and transepts in 1883. However, the main doorway and chancel arch are both 12th Century Norman and were reset from the original building. Both have heavy billets in the arch on simple column shafts. The windows in the Victorian chancel are also Norman in style, albeit rather more florid than the original, with marble columns and rich zig-zag decoration.

The interior is deceptively spacious and was re-ordered in 2009, removing the Victorian fittings, but expanding the gallery, and providing a kitchen and toilets. It is worth looking up at the fine barrel vaulted roof, with what the Listed Building entry describes as an "interesting design at the crossing".

St John the Baptist, Itchen Abbas SO21 1BJ