Country Churches

114. St Mary’s Fordingbridge

This large church, approached via an avenue of 12 lime trees, was built over several centuries from 1230 onwards. The massive tower, for instance, was added in the 15th century being built on large piers within the bays of the north aisle.

Once inside look up to see the large wooden Arms of George I over the entrance door, flanked by the Arms of King’s College Cambridge and the diocese of Winchester. The wonderful orange and blue east window of the north chapel is immediately obvious. It was placed there in memory of Edward Vickery ‘Physician and Friend’ who died in 1972. The modern screens at the chapel entrance are a memorial to the men killed in the First World War. The chapel roof is especially noteworthy being a magnificently carved 16th century chestnut tie beamed trussed roof. There are numerous figures carved on each beam whilst God the Father looks down from the centre of the beam nearest the altar. The Tudor Rose can also be seen.

Behind the High Altar is a fine reredos carved by Herbert Read of Exeter in 1920. Above the modern choir stalls are various Coats of Arms including those of Cardinal Wolsey, the Abbot of St Albans, the Bishop of Winchester and other local worthies. On the south wall near the High Altar is the recently restored memorial to Phillip Clifford, Vicar 1626-38.

On the east wall of the nave behind the lectern is a fine brass dated 1568 in memory of William Bulkeley, his wife and three sons and five daughters. In the south wall of the nave a lovely new Millennium Window in gorgeous red and blue can be seen. It is inscribed ‘Go Forth upon thy journey Christian Soul’, presumably referring to the Pilgrims Progress.

In the south west corner of the nave several interesting memorials can be seen. One relates to a father and son killed during the Napoleonic Wars. Major General Andrew Hay was killed at Bayonne on 14 April 1814 ‘while repelling gallantly a sortie of the enemy’, whilst his son Major George Hay was killed at Vittoria in June 1813 ‘in heroic discharge of his duty as Aide-de-Camp to his father.’

Nearby is a very poignant memorial to two children, Caroline Elizabeth Derby who died February 17 1770 aged 9 and her brother John, an only son, who died March 10 1779 aged 8. Part of the epitaph reads:

Reader how many hopes lie buried here
A much loved daughter and a son most dear
Like two fair flowers in Spring they grew
Sweet to the sense and lovely to the view
But deaths cold hand soon nipped their early bloom.

Another plaque commemorates a donation of £500 in 1912 by William Harris a shipowner and merchant, for church repairs, given in memory of Samuel Harris who on 4 September 1664 had eight of his children baptised in the church.

Outside the church near the east end of the north chapel is an external recessed tomb. It was badly mutilated by the 17th century Puritans. It is probably the tomb of one of the last priors of the Order of St John in Fordingbridge as the north chapel originally served as the private chapel of the order.

John Symonds