There is a rich heritage of New Forest churches and other religious buildings. Perhaps the largest and best known is Beaulieu Abbey which in its day was larger than Winchester Cathedral but was demolished by Henry VIII in 1538 during his dissolution of the monasteries and now only part remains. However, within the Forest there remain a number of places of worship with considerable interest in terms of either their architecture, history and historical associations. Several also contain the final resting places or memorials to prominent figures and events from history.
St. MICHAEL’S CHURCH, LYNDHURST
High on a mound dominating the Forest’s capital, Lyndhurst, stands the church of St. Michael and All Angels. Whilst a comparative newcomer to the scene it isone of the more prominent New Forest churches and a fine example of Victorian Gothic style architecture. The present building, the third on the site, was built between 1858-69 during the height of the village’s popularity with Victorian gentry. It was designed by William White (1825–1900) who was an English architect, noted for his part in 19th century Gothic Revival architecture.
The caricature image above is from the collection of the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich and shows the previous church on the site and refers to the Duke of Gloucester’s stables. The Duke of Gloucester (1743-1805) was the younger brother of King George III who was appointed Warden and Keeper of the New Forest in 1771.
One of the church’s most notable features is the fresco behind the altar by the artist, Frederic Leighton (later Lord Leighton – President of the Royal Academy of Art) depicting the parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins. It can be seen from the calibre of the craftsmen and artists involved that Lyndhurst had become a very fashionable village with Victorian society at the time of its construction.
The church is also the final resting place of Lewis Carroll’s Alice. Alice Liddell was the fourth child of Henry Liddell, Dean of Christ Church, Oxford. Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known by his pseudonym of Lewis Carroll, was a close friend of the Liddell family and Alice is said to have been the inspiration for his children’s classic “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”. Alice subsequently married Reginald Hargreaves, a man of considerable means, in Westminster Abbey after which they lived at Cuffnells, a country mansion on the outskirts of Lyndhurst. Alice Hargreaves outlived her husband and two of her sons who died in action within a few days of each other during the First World War. She died, aged 82, in 1934 and was buried in St Michael’s churchyard.
ALL SAINTS’ CHURCH, MINSTEAD
It is one of the New Forest churches with a notable resident. The churchyard is visited regularly by tourists who come to see the grave of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes. Sir Arthur died at his home, “Windlesham” in Crowborough, Sussex, on 7 July 1930. As a Spiritualist and a non believer he was initially buried upright in the rose garden at Windlesham in accordance with his wishes. When his wife died in 1940 she was interred beside her husband in the rose garden. On the sale of the Windlesham estate in 1955, both bodies were exhumed and re-interred at All Saints Church, Minstead, just a few miles from Bignell Wood, where Sir Arthur had purchased a country retreat as a gift for his wife. He and his family spent long periods in the tranquillity of the New Forest and Minstead figured prominently in his historical novel “The White Company”. His gravestone reads “Steel True, Blade Straight, Arthur Conan Doyle, Knight, Patriot, Physician, & Man of Letters”. In view of the fact that he was a “non believer” his re-internment was conditional upon him being laid to rest in a horizontal position and his new grave was to be positioned at the edge of the village cemetery.
St MARY’S CHAPEL, BUCKLERS HARD
Hardly bigger than the lounge of an average house, it seats only 40 people but welcomes thousands of visitors and tourists each year. A viewing window in the floor next to the altar reveals a cellar below. Beaulieu River was a major landing point for smuggled goods in the late 18th century and this cellar was probably used as a store for contraband.
BEAULIEU ABBEY CHURCH
Near the pulpit is the Tubby Clayton Memorial, in memory of the co-founder of Toc H, who lived in Beaulieu as a boy and returned regularly to preach throughout his lifetime. Toc H is an international movement instigated by the Reverend Philip Thomas Byard (Tubby) Clayton as a way to perpetuate the Fellowship developed in Talbot House, a soldiers’ club run by him in Poperinge, Belgium during WW1 from 1915-1918. It is from the contemporary phonetic alphabet for TH (Talbot House) that Toc H takes its unique name.
The Standard of 84 Squadron RAF is laid up in the Abbey Church to commemorate the founding of the Squadron as part of the Royal Flying Corps on the nearby Beaulieu Airfield during the First World War in 1917. Shortly after its formation the squadron was despatched to France and during its 15 months service in WW1 the Squadron’s pilots proved very successful and destroyed 129 enemy aircraft and 50 observation balloons.
St NICHOLAS CHURCH, BROCKENHURST
The Church has had various alterations and additions over the centuries and was enlarged by the Victorians but in the south wall of the old Nave there is some Saxon herring-bone masonry. The South doorway is a fine example of Norman work with chevron mouldings and the Purbeck stone, lead lined font, is also Norman.
In Norman times, the Manor and its grounds were adjacent to the church and it is recorded that the Lord of the Manor was obliged to accommodate the King when he came hunting in the New Forest and it is certain that Norman and Plantagenet Kings, and their entourages, must have worshipped in St. Nicholas. King William II (William Rufus) is known to have visited Brockenhurst, possibly worshiping in St Nicholas’ church, as at least two writs were issued by him from the village.
The churchyard is also the final resting place of one of the Forest’s best known “characters”, Harry Mills, better known as “Brusher”. Born in the Forest, he worked as a labourer until his forties when he moved into an old charcoal burner’s hut in the woods near Brockenhurst, and took up catching snakes for a living. He sent consignments to London Zoo as food and sold others for ointments to treat snake bites and other ailments. It is thought that he caught tens of thousands of snakes during his lifetime during which he gained a certain notoriety and became a tourist attraction in his own right. Visitors to the New Forest regularly had their photographs taken with him and listened to his yarns. He died in 1905 and was buried in the churchyard with a marble headstone which was paid for by locals.
St JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH, BOLDRE
The north chapel of this medieval church was built by Isabella de Fortibus, Countess of Devon, one of the wealthiest women in 13th century England. She resided mainly in Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight, which she owned, although her main wealth was derived from estates in Devon, Yorkshire and parts of Hampshire, including Boldre. It is said that she ruled the Isle of Wight in the manner of a medieval Queen.
When he arrived at Boldre the local population was quite lawless were said to be ‘little better than a gang of gypsies, and without the opportunity of the humblest education, or the means of religious instruction‘. He worked tirelessly and successfully to improve their morals and behaviour and improved conditions in the parish by supporting a project for a new poor house which was a model of its time. He had enlightened views on educating and disciplining the young, and personally built and provided an endowment for a parish school that now bears his name. He used proceeds from his writing and an auction of his original drawings to fund these projects. Both Gilpin and his wife are buried in the churchyard.
The church was also well known as being a store for smugglers‘ contraband goods but whether Gilpin knew or condoned this is not known. There is no doubt that many of his parishioners would have been involved in the trade.
Like the churchyard at Brockenhurst, Boldre church contains a number of war graves. The twenty-three war graves in the north west corner of the churchyard include those of fifteen Canadian airmen stationed at nearby RAF Beaulieu during the Second World War. The church is also closely associated with HMS Hood, the last battle cruiser built for the Royal Navy, which was sunk by the German battleship “Bismark” during action in May 1941 with the loss of 1415 men. Among the men lost was Vice Admiral Lancelot Holland, who had been a regular worshipper at Boldre for many years with his family. After the War when it became clear that no official memorial was to be made, his widow organised a Commemoration of HMS Hood at Boldre. The church porch displays a framed photograph of HMS Hood, two Vice Admiral’s lanterns, a small stained glass window of St. Nicholas (patron saint of sailors) and two long oak benches carved with the ship’s badge of a Cornish chough. An annual memorial service is held to remember Admiral Holland and the crew of HMS Hood on the Sunday nearest the anniversary of the ship’s sinking.
THE CANADIAN MEMORIAL
On D-Day they landed on Juno Beach in Normandy with the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade. They initially encountered heavy resistance from the German forces and the first wave of assault troops took heavy casualties in the opening minutes of the first wave before sheer force of numbers won the day. The RCASC (Royal Canadian Army Service Corps) was responsible for supplying the assault troops with food, ammunition, fuel and any other necessary equipment, moving supplies from rear areas to the battle zone.
Each year a simple non denominational service of remembrance is held on Armistice Sunday and on the anniversary of D-Day to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. These services attract large crowds who come to pay their respects and leave poppies and other mementos of loved ones.
Click on the blue markers on the map below to show each church’s location.
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