St Mary's Church, Brighstone
Coordinates: 50°38′32.6″N 01°23′40.5″W / 50.642389°N 1.394583°W
St. Mary's Church, Brighstone | |
---|---|
Denomination | Church of England |
Churchmanship | Broad Church |
Website | [1] |
History | |
Dedication | St. Mary |
Administration | |
Parish | Brighstone |
Diocese | Portsmouth |
Province | Canterbury |
Clergy | |
Vicar(s) | Revd Malcolm Williams |
St. Mary's Church, Brighstone, is a parish church in the Church of England located in Brighstone, Isle of Wight. The churchyard contains a memorial stone to George Albert Cairns VC.
History[]
The church is medieval dating from the twelfth century.[1] The short tower contains a ring of 8 bells all cast by Whitechapel Bell Foundry: six in 1961 with two more added in 2017. The largest weighs 7cwt. The spire was added in the 17th century.
Today[]
The church holds an annual Christmas tree festival (the Brighstone Christmas Tree Festival) in conjunction with the one at Mottistone that has become a popular tourist attraction.[2]
This event occurs in four locations:
- St Mary's Church, Brighstone
- St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, Mottistone
- .
Several hundred entries are created by individuals, groups and businesses, making it one of the biggest festivals of its type.[citation needed]
Parish status[]
The church is grouped with:
- St. Mary's Church, Brighstone
- St. Mary's Church, Brook
- St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, Mottistone
List of incumbents[]
Three former Rectors have become Bishops:
- Thomas Ken hymn writer
- Samuel Wilberforce - the youngest son of William Wilberforce
- George Moberly - became Bishop of Salisbury
Organ[]
The church does not have a pipe organ but instead has an electric one at the west end of the nave. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.
References[]
- ^ The Buildings of England, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Nikolaus Pevsner
- ^ islandpulse.co.uk/b2/brighstone-christmas-tree-festival-2009
- Church of England church buildings on the Isle of Wight
- Grade I listed churches on the Isle of Wight