|
Through the centuries
The Tower. This was built in the
14th century. At first it reached only to the first course, the
upper part and the external buttresses being added a little later.
The west doorway is even older than the tower. It is thought to
have been built originally into another part of the Church, and
subsequently moved to its present position; possibly it formed the
west door of the ancient building before the tower was put up. It
is a small pointed doorway of the 13th century, and is best seen
from the outside of the Church.
The spire is short and octagonal.
The precise date of its building is uncertain, but the parish records
of 1617 mention repairs to spire, and these are repeated in 1660.
The Chancel. The presence or absence
of a chancel in the early Norman Church is unknown, and the date
of its building is obscure. A chancel was certainly there in the
16th century, for the Wayte's Court Chapel was built alongside it.
Supporting evidence, too, is the presence of bases to the pillars
in the chancel similar to those on the south side of the nave.
An ancient altar-stone stands on the north side of
the Sanctuary. Its origin is uncertain; it is believed to have come
from the old Priory of Limerstone, situated about half a mile from
Brighstone on the road to Shorwell. When this fell into disuse,
it is thought that the stone was transferred to Brighstone, where
it formed the altar in the original Limerstone Chapel in the Church.
It was found, buried near the Church, at the time of the restorations
in 1852, having lain there for close on three and a half centuries.
Much of this information has come from pages on the
rootsweb
web site.
home | services | beliefs
& testimonials | brighstone | brook
| mottistone | special events
| pastoral care | links |
contact
|