Church Of St Thomas-A-Becket

SU 70 NW HAVANT CHURCH LANE Warblington Church of St. Thomas- a-Becket

16.5.52 I 4/44

Parish Church. Saxon, Transitional (late C12), Early English (C13), C15, restoration of 1859 (by J. H. Ball). The slender central tower is Saxon (a tower above a west porch), but the lowest stage was widened when the chancel (originally the Saxon church) was rebuilt in the C13. The chancel has a north wing (vestry) and the east end, and next to it a shorter C19 transept (above the heating chamber). The comparatively-wide nave has 3 bays, with aisles extending as chapels (each with a piscina) on each side of the tower. The arcade is supported on the north side by drum columns with moulded circular caps and bases, on the south side by octagonal shafts, each with 4 detached Purbeck columns with 'stiff-leaf' caps: the 2 tower arches are C13 and rest on triple attached Purbeck shafts, having moulded caps at the _ east side and stiff leaf foliage at the west. Above the east wall of the nave can be seen a Saxon doorway, other features of the interior include 2 canopied medieval tombs (each with a recumbent female figure) and several wall monuments. Externally the roof is tiled and the walling is of flint and stone rubble with stone dressings, There are some lancets, but most of the windows are traceried Victorian lights, the aisles having coupled lights within one arch, beneath gables. The north porch is C15, of heavy timber- framing with stone side walls. The tower is crowned with a small shingled broach spire (of 1859).

Listing NGR: SU7293805566