A Brief History
Monks from the Abbey of Jumièges, France, established a Priory on the Hayling Island in the 12th century and founded St. Mary’s Priory Church in 1253.
Hayling Island originally had a single Parish and St. Mary’s was the Parish Church. Today the Island has three separate Parishes: St. Mary’s, South Hayling; St. Peter’s, North Hayling; and St. Andrew’s, Eaststoke.
The history of St. Mary’s Church is described in great detail in ‘The Priory and Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin Hayling Island’ – an illustrated guide by Grahame Soffe.
From the period from 1253 to 2010 St. Mary’s Church has been subject to several changes to meet the needs of the growing and modernising world. Built mainly from imported stone, the church gained the addition of a timber porch in the fifteenth century and received significant interior restoration and alteration during the reign of Queen Victoria. The interior of the church has changed little since that time. More >>>
St Mary's Churchyard
Grahame Soffe states that the church has an ‘unusually large size of the churchyard …… possibly having to accommodate the majority of (Island) burials in the Middle Ages’. ‘It also received the bodies of some of the drowned men often washed up on the island’s shores’.
In the 1950’s a farmer donated a field to the church and this extended the churchyard further south known as the ‘New Churchyard’.
Memorial Garden
In 2002 an area of the south churchyard was dedicated for the internment of ashes. The names of those so interred are recorded in a Memorial Book, which is displayed in the Lady Chapel.
Garden of Peace
A 1.5-acre of land was donated to St. Mary’s Church by Mr & Mrs Dennis Edwards (former owners of Higworth Caravan Park, Hayling Island). The Right Reverend Doctor Kenneth Stevenson, Bishop of Portsmouth, consecrated the land known as the Garden of Peace. It will be used for the burial of people from South Hayling for several years to come.
The consecration formed part of the 750th Anniversary Celebration of St. Mary’s Church.
Family members of the recently deceased contributed to the cost of several trees planted in the Garden of Peace.
Memorial Pavement
An area within the Garden of Peace has been dedicated as a Memorial Pavement. This again is for the interment of ashes, but allows the family of the deceased to have a memorial stone placed above the interred ashes.
Churchyard Yews
The churchyard has twenty-two yew trees. The youngest is the Millennium Yew, planted early in the year 2000, and the oldest is an immense 2,000-year-old tree, which dominates the south entrance to the church. This yew tree has ‘long [been] considered one of the largest and finest in Britain’. (Grahame Soffe).
Refurbishment of St. Mary’s Priory Church
(Any enquiries concerning the project should be submitted by email to jones.tycerrig@googlemail.com)
The interior of the church has changed little since the reign of Queen Victoria. The Parish Church Council (PCC) agreed that the refurbishment and renovation of the interior of the church was long overdue.
The main purpose of the refurbishment is to replace the inadequate heating system installed in 1985 and to install modern lighting in the church building.
PCC representatives have gone through a lengthy consultation process and have discussed the proposed changes with members of the congregation and several other groups in the local community. There have also been detailed discussions with the church architect and the heating and electrical engineer. It has been a long process and we are delighted to have reached such an important stage in the long history of the church.
Refurbishment Plans
Boreholes: two or three sample boreholes are required to a depth of approximately 15ins and a spade’s width. The Diocesan Archaeologist will be invited to assess the findings.
Nave Floor
The current Victorian floor will be removed so that the under floor heating can be installed, and replaced with a new Purbeck stone floor taken up to, and at the same level as, the stone slabs in the Chancel.
Heating
A new gas fired under floor heating system will be installed in the Nave with additional background heating in the Nave and also the Chancel. The heating system will be extended to the new Vestry when it is built.
Lighting
The current lighting system will be replaced by a modern and flexible lighting system.
Audio
The audio system will be enhanced.
Font
The font, standing at the west end of the north aisle, will be repositioned on a central west/east line. The Anglo-Saxon Font will be repositioned.
RedecorationThe church will be redecorated before any new furniture is installed.
Dais
A new dais will be installed in the area under the tower. A removable communion rail will be positioned towards the front of the Dais.
Furniture
Key Dates
N.B. Any weddings already booked during the period that the church is closed will be rebooked at local churches by the Vicar after due consultation with the couples. Wedding couples were advised of the possible closure of the church when they made their booking.
Vestry
The PCC has approved an octagonal design for the Vestry instead of the circular building previously planned. The Church Architect is finalising the design details.
The plans will be submitted to Havant Council for planning permission. The plans will also be submitted to the Diocesan Advisory Council (DAC) for a certificate of approval. Subject to planning permission and a DAC certificate being granted then a request will be made to the Chancellor for the Diocese for a faculty to proceed with the new Vestry. The building of the Vestry will follow on from the project to refurbish the church.
The Vicar, Revd. Paul Ginever, the PCC, and members of the congregation are delighted that the refurbishment of the St. Mary’s Priory Church is about to happen and that we will soon have a new Vestry. It has been a long and painful journey, but it has been necessary to consult with as wide an audience as possible. We are most grateful for the advice of the church architect together with the heating and electrical engineer. Members of the DAC have also been very supportive whilst we developed our thoughts and ideas.
We look forward to a warm and comfortable church brought up to modern standards whilst retaining the dignity of this proud and ancient building, used not only for church services but also by the wider community.
Future Events
