Church Of St Mary

BRIGHSTONE

SZ4282 MAIN ROAD 1354-0/11/41 (South West side) 18/01/67 Church of St Mary (Formerly Listed as: MAIN ROAD, Brook Church of St Mary)

GV I

Parish Church. C12 north arcade, C14 south arcade and lower stages of the tower. The upper stage of the tower and angle buttresses are C15. The south aisle, south porch and chancel are early C16. The spire is of 1720 and the north aisle was rebuilt in 1852. Built of Isle of Wight stone rubble with tiled roof, the lowest 3 courses of stone slates. Nave with aisles, lower chancel, south chapel, south porch and west tower with spire. West tower of 3 stages, the lower stages C14, the upper C15. Crenellated parapet. Angle buttresses. Early C14 west doorway with engaged columns and hood moulding. Above is a double cinque-foil headed light with hood moulding. Corbel stop below parapet. Bell stage to north and south sides have pierced stone screen. Lead spire of 1720. South porch is C14, gabled with sundial of 1727. Arched doorcase with moulded impost blocks. South aisle of early C16 has 2 windows with cusped tracery and large stone triangular buttresses. South chapel also early C16, has 2 windows with cusped heads and the east window has 3 lancets with cusped heads. Chancel of early C16 date has 4 lancet windows and triple east window with cusped heads. North aisle of 1852, restored by Rev. Edward McAll, has 3 paired lancets. Interior: Nave has 3 bay north arcade of c.1190 having circular columns with square abaci and round arches with slight chamfer. C14 4 bay south arcade with octagonal columns. C19 roof. C14 font, octagonal with plain cusped arches on pillar and bowl. Fine Jacobean pulpit the top panels arches with obelisks, the lower panels of strapwork decoration. The brackets carry a bookrest which opens all round. South aisle has early C16 piscina with cusped head and sexfoil drain. South chapel has Perpendicular chancel arch with remains of rood staircase and late Perpendicular arcade of 3 bays. C19 roof of arch-braced type. By the rail of the chancel are memorials to 3 famous former rectors, the hymn. writer Thomas Hen (1667-69), Samuel Wilberforce later Bishop of Winchester( 1830-40 and George Moberly later a headmaster of Winchester College (1867-69). Some black basalt floor slabs. (Pevsner: B.O.E. Hampshire and the Isle of Wight: 735).

Listing NGR: SZ4290882696