There has been a church in Brighstone for over 800 years. It has stood as a testimony to the faith of many generations of Christians in our parish, with a long and distinguished history, being known as the parish of three bishops:

Thomas Ken,
saintly hymn writer

Samuel Wilberforce,
son of the great anti-slave campaigner

George Moberly,
formerly headmaster of Winchester College.

The grey walls of the Church are of Island stone, much weathered, and supported by strong buttresses. The body of the building has nearly equal twin gables, and the tower is square and low, being surmounted by a short spire and weathercock. The main entrance is through a porch set in the south wall and leading from the churchyard. It is covered by heavy Dorset stone tiles of a type which it is believed at one time covered the whole roof of the Church, until their weight was found to be too great for it.

The porch is old and weathered, and above it is seen, outside, a sundial placed there in 1721. The figures and words on it can now scarcely be seen, the soft stone being worn by wind and weather. The inner door of the porch into the Church was made in the 15th century and above it is the site of a figure, possibly of the Virgin, with the remains of a canopy and the chisel-marks of its removal. The porch was added a little later than this south door.

Within the Church are three aisles, extending from west to east. The first reached on entering is the south aisle, comprising the Limerstone and Wayte's Court Chapels, the latter set along the side of the chancel. The central, main, aisle extends through the nave from the tower at the west to the chancel and Sanctuary. A third, the narrow northern aisle, is on the far side of the nave.

 

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