St. Denys Church, Chilworth

Description

The church is just off a busy main road and when inside there is silence and atmosphere as you soak in the beautiful windows and wonder at the beautiful ceiling.

Standard Opening Times:
10am - 4pm every day (note: there is a service at 9:30 on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Sundays of the month)

The Church is of Saxon origin and is mentioned in the Domesday Book. It came under the control of the Priory of Saint Denys in Southampton about the year 1224 A.D, and bears the name of that saint although it has no known dedication. After the dissolution of the Priory, the church came into the possession of the Lord of the Manor who held the right of appointing the vicar. A historian tells us that one of the first vicars was “An old castaway monk, who can scarcely say his Matins, hired for twenty or thirty shillings a year, meat and drink, or for meat and drink alone.” After the year 1700 A.D, the church fell into disrepair and in 1801 A.D. it was described as “an ivy-clad ruin standing upon rising ground; a small building apparently of great age, without a ceiling and little better than a hovel, a belfry in front somewhat resembling a pigeon-house. The ivy claims property in the walls and admonishes the parishioners to bestow a little expense upon what they profess to esteem as the house of God.”

Peter Searle, the Lord of the Manor, whose body is interred in the chancel, rebuilt the church at his own expense, and shortly before 1820 A.D. the new building was consecrated by the Bishop of Winchester. It had a steeple, and a choir gallery over the west door. These were removed in the latter part of the nineteenth century. The roof of the church is said to be inspired by that of Sherborne Abbey.

It is of interest to note the corbels in which we see the recurring theme of the “Bear and Ragged Staff,” the “Owl” and the “Dove,” The East Window which was destroyed by a parachute mine in 1941 came from the Nonsuch Palace of Henry VIII at Sheen, and represented the four Evangelists. The present window shows a crown of glory, and the shields of the Dioceses of Winchester and Canterbury, and also of Saint Denys. The four lancets represent the Incarnation, the Resurrection, the Return to Judgment, and the Holy Communion. They are linked by a Cross which rises out of the wooded hills of this county.

The parish records go back to 1703. The two bells are of great historical interest (although no dates are inscribed on them), and when examined by Taylor’s Bell Foundry Loughborough in 1924 they found them particularly interesting on account of their antiquity and they were believed to be French bells cast either in the 12th or 13th Century. The original clappers are in the glass case near the font.

Richard Cockle Lucas was a Victorian artist who lived in Chilworth. He produced sculptural works in wax, ivory, and stone. Lucas's multi-disciplinary approach combined print-making, stained glass, photography and much more. There is a self-made plaque with his portrait carved on it on the wall inside the church.

Location

St Denys Church, Chilworth Old Village, Southampton, Hampshire, SO16 7NN, United Kingdom

Directions

Grid Ref: SU4064218774
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By car: Chilworth Old Village is on the A27 between Southampton and North Baddesley.

Facilities

Suitable for wheelchairs - there is a slight incline but it is an even surface.
There are no toilet facilities.
There is a small churchyard

Accommodation - the nearest is Chilworth Manor Hotel https://www.chilworthmanorhotel.com/

Hospitaller/Contact Person

Francois Hugo,
All Saints Church
Rownhams Road
North Baddesley
Southampton
SO52 9ER

Tel: 02380 737617

Email:

Web Link

https://www.acnb-church.org/

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