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Churches

These pages are still in their early stages of development, and for the time being I am concentrating on producing descriptions and galleries for Hampshire churches only. In time there will be reports and articles on churches from neighbouring counties, as well as pages on other topics such as artists and architects, and a glossary of terms.

The fascination of old churches

What is it about old churches which make them thoroughly absorbing and exciting to visit? No doubt each person has their own reasons, but for me the main ones are as follows:

1. Just the very fact of finding a church, especially a country church, whether in an attractive village setting, or more remotely situated within a field or at the end of a lane, can be exciting, surprising and moving in itself, and significantly contributes to the experience of visiting a church. You are rarely far from a church, and a summer cycle ride or winter walk can be greatly enhanced by even a brief visit to one or a group of churches.

2. Every church, whether artistically important or not, is a unique building, with its own personality, charm, and features of interest. Very few churches have nothing to offer the visitor, even if it is of minor significance. Churches also have their own unique atmosphere, as created by time, imagination, usage, and a general loving care. Some can be very evocative in the way they satisfy the senses, and can impress with their sense of peace, history and permanence.

3. Many churches can be architecturally stimulating, either because they include notable contributions from specific periods, and/or because they often represent a continual architectural development which is not generally easy to interpret or unravel. This is often true of 19th century contributions as well as those from earlier periods.  Ultimately they are mysterious buildings, from a distant age that we only partially understand, and this also contributes to their attraction. 

4. Many churches often hold other objects of beauty and interest, including furnishings, stained glass, wall paintings and monuments. These enhance the interest of a church, and together with the architecture provide a strong and tangible sense of both national and local history.

5. As most church guides point out, while churches are often treasure houses of the past, they are in most cases still used for the same purposes as originally intended, so that there exists a continuation and living link with the past. Few other historic buildings, particularly those from before the reformation, can claim this.

6. Unlike many historic attractions, such as country houses, castles and cathedrals, parish churches are mostly quiet and unassuming, so that they can be contemplated in peace and within a natural setting. Furthermore, most churches have not been deliberately turned into tourist attractions, and are therefore usually free from the worst trappings of such attractions. Even today, many are still open or can be accessed via arrangement, and there are rarely admission charges (although donations are almost always gratefully received).

Sadly, theft and vandalism have made the pursuit of visiting churches a more frustrating and less enjoyable activity than it would have been fifty or a hundred years ago, but in certain parts of the country many churches remain open or can be accessed without too much inconvenience. This is still true of parts of Hampshire and West Sussex, though not of others. However, I have made a conscious decision not to provide accessibility information for the churches described on this site.

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© Copyright 2004, Barry Meehan