Greatham – St. John the Baptist
Monthly Cycle of Services

1st Sunday
 11:00 am - Prayer and Praise at the Eucharist

2nd Sunday
 11:00 am - Morning Prayer

3rd Sunday
11:00 am - Eucharist (Common Worship)

4th Sunday
 11:00 am - Family Service

5th Sunday
United service at one of the churches in the Benefice – see Parish Magazine or Church Notice Boards

There is usually a service of Holy Communion (Common Worship) on Wednesdays at 7. 30 p.m.

St. John the Baptist, Greatham – A brief history

The present church of St. John the Baptist was built on a new site and dedicated in 1875. At that time the Old Church was probably in an advanced state of decay and was thought too small for the growing population. The new Church was designed to seat 150 or more. William Fry Foster of Le Court gave the land and £5,000 and was, in a way, creating a lasting memorial to his parents. The stained glass window behind the altar is dedicated to them and dated 1875.

The architects were H. and A.R Fry, a Liverpool firm and cousins of Foster – and, a city becoming renowned for its Gothic Architecture. The Church was in the Decorated Style, without a spire, just a 30ft. tower with two bells from the Old Church. It is possible that the simple style was designed to mirror the lines of the Old Church. The builders were J.H. & E. Dyer of Alton and they made use of local Selborne stone for the main structure with the more substantial Bath stone for the dressings.

In 1891 eight stained glass windows were installed and dedicated to various members of the Wright family, a magnificent lectern was given, and a handsome pulpit designed by an eminent architect James Fowler. Like the mediaeval churches which used wall paintings and windows to depict stories from the Bible, the windows in this church follow a similar vein. The west windows depict scenes from the Old Testament which can be looked up because the texts are provided in the glass.

Those in the nave follow the life of Christ from the Annunciation to His birth, ministry, Crucifixion and Resurrection. The story is not quite complete, for in building the Church Centre an access door was made in the north wall, in front of the pulpit. This meant that the window showing Simeon with the baby Jesus in the temple at Jerusalem had to be moved into the Church Centre and can be seen on the landing.

The east window shows the life John the Baptist. Below each scene there is a dedication. At the dedication service which was held on April 2nd 1891 for the 8 stained glass windows, £12 – 5s – 5d was given by the congregation for a Chancel screen. James Fowler a very talented architect, with the design and execution of many churches to his credit, was appointed in 1891 to design it. It is there today, a fine example of his work.

In 1893 a wealthy shipping magnate Heath Harrison and his wife purchased Le Court. They came from Liverpool, a city of Gothic spires and no doubt thought as many did, that Greatham Church looked stunted and unfinished. There is no doubt that when there was talk of "doing" something in Greatham to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897, the then Rector, Francis Bryans influenced Heath Harrison, who gave £800 to finance the building of a spire for the Church and the Churchwarden, Timothy White gave £100. The noted architect Frederick Chancellor was consulted. The first design was rejected as being "too dumpy" but after some minor alterations they were approved and work began. The spire is built entirely of English oak and the tower was heightened to accommodate four two-light belfry windows. In all an extra 70 ft was added to the tower and the bells were re-hung. On January 11th 1898 a dedication service was held, the Bishop of Winchester officiating.

The Harrisons continued to give generously to the Parish. In 1907 they provided the Lych gate. Many other families have also given unstintingly to the Church over the years and their generosity is recorded by plaques and tablets in the interior and in particular the beautiful statue above the Font. The sculptor was Hew Lorimer. He was born in Edinburgh and his work includes both sacred and secular works in stone. The Church building has changed little since the early years of the 20th century. Electric light replaced the gas in the 30's and improved heating and carpets are modem additions. Apart from this we sit in the same pews where countless others have sat before us.

In 1988 the benefice of Greatham with Empshott was united with the Parish of Hawkley with Priors Dean under one benefice. As the result of the union, Greatham Rectory was sold. Many of the facilities the Parish had enjoyed at the Rectory were lost. So in 1991 the Parochial Church Council felt that new facilities were needed. In 1994 the Church Centre was built funded mainly by the Diocese but also by donations and covenants from the congregation and many friends of Greatham. It was dedicated and officially opened on 23rd. October 1994 by the Lord Bishop of Portsmouth, the Rt. Rev. Timothy Bavin.

Access to the new building from within the church, as well as a desire for a more 'flexible' worship space, created a few alterations in the Church. A door was put into the North wall just in front of the pulpit. The stained glass window, (see above) removed to make way for it. A dais was built and a nave altar put in position. This altar is from the Old Church, and dated 1637. It carries a dedication to Marjory Caryll whose tomb is in the chancel of the Old Church. A few pews were also removed from the back to create an open space where young children can be taken during worship if they become restless.

Empshott - Holy Rood
Monthly Cycle of Services

1st Sunday
 9:45 am - Holy Communion (BCP)

2nd Sunday
 9:45 am - Morning Prayer (BCP)

3rd Sunday
 9:45 am - Holy Communion (BCP)

4th Sunday
  9:45 am - Morning Prayer (BCP)

5th Sunday
United service at one of the churches in the Benefice – see Parish Magazine or Church Notice Boards

The Church of the Holy Rood Empshott – A brief history

Empshott is a beautiful area of English farmland and woodland at the headwaters of the River Rother, centring upon a small church which has been loved and cherished as its place of Christian worship for 900 years.

Situated in wooded, hilly country, overlooking the old Woolmer Forest to the east, the church is the heart of the village partly because there is nothing else, no concentration of houses, no shops, no school, no pub, and no main road. So it is not only a sense of the holy which the church gives; there is also a strong sense of identity to regular and irregular churchgoers who in their turn communicate it to their neighbours.

The Church building, though much altered over the centuries, is still of considerable interest. The oldest part is the chancel, which is Early English, the nave being rather later.

The nave arcades, chancel arch, and eastern lancets, all display good dog-tooth mouldings. There were formerly North and South chapels to the chancel; that on the North has entirely disappeared, though the blocked arch leading into it remains. On the site of the South chapel is a modern vestry; at the east end of the south aisle are the remains of an arch formerly leading into it. These chapels, together with the aisles, were probably destroyed in 1624, when there was much rebuilding. The original aisle walls were then re-erected at a distance of only 2 feet from the nave arcades, some of the old windows being re-used.

The shingled bell-turret is Victorian, but is carried on a truss dated 1624. The remainder of the nave roof and that of the chancel are also modern, but there is much interesting old woodwork. At the west end is an excellent chancel screen dated 1624, which was removed to its present position in 1868. The font is of Purbeck marble, c. 1190, with a cover dated 1624. At the west end of the nave is part of a Jacobean pulpit, used as a table. The nave seats are c. 1400 and the lectern and pulpit are 16th century. Part of a Jacobean chest has been converted into a sanctuary seat.

Though the population is small, about 120, the proportion of church attendances to population is usually high and there is a remarkable sense of devotion and activity to cherishing this church family and its inspiring home, the Church of the Holy Rood.

Hawkley – St. Peter and St. Paul,
with Priors Dean

1st Sunday
 9:30 am - Eucharist (Common Worship) - Hawkley

2nd Sunday
 9:30 am - Eucharist (Common Worship) - Hawkley
 6:30 pm - Evensong (BCP) - Priors Dean

3rd Sunday
 9:30 am - Morning Prayer (BCP) - Hawkley
 9:30 am - Holy Communion (BCP) - Priors Dean

4th Sunday
 9 a.m. – Holy Communion (BCP) - Hawkley
 9:30 am - Family Service - Hawkley

5th Sunday
United service at one of the churches in the Benefice – see Parish Magazine or Church Notice Boards

The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Hawkley – A brief history

The present Church was built in 1864 – 65 on the site of the former Chapel of Ease, but the Font remains and dates from about 1190. It is of Purbeck marble with a square bowl on a round shaft. The Architect of the new Church building was Samuel Sanders Teulon. He was of Huguenot descent, born in 1812 at Greenwich, setting up in independent practice in 1838, and being constantly in demand until he died in 1873.

Teulon’s earlier designs were generally in Tudor or Elizabethan styles, but he later became a supporter of the Gothic revival; he also restored and recast many Churches. It was J.J. Maberly, of Hawkley Hurst, for whom he had previously designed a house, who commissioned Teulon to build the Church. It is in stone after a simple design in the Norman style; and the tower is a “Rhenish Helm”, more usually found on the continent, though there is a fine medieval example at Sompting in Sussex. It is not known what were the reasons for the design being used here, nor indeed for any of the designs for the rest of the Church, which are very restrained and must have been entirely different from Teulon’s usual style at that date. At all events he has left us a Church which is both suitable to its surroundings, and extremely attractive in itself, and for which we have every reason to be grateful.

The building is cruciform, though the transverse arms terminated by gables containing rose windows, do not extend beyond the ground plan of the aisles. The nave is divided into three bays. The pillars that separate it from the aisles have elaborately carved capitals, the subjects being emblems of our Lord and of the Evangelists. The corbels supporting the open timbered roof are carved into the forms of the trees mentioned in Scripture, the palm, plane, ebony, vine, pomegranate, fig, gourd, olive and rose of Sharon. The corbels in the aisles are angels.

The east window consists of three lights, above which is a circular window. These are memorial windows and filled with painted glass by Ward and Hughes. In the centre is the Ascension, and on either side, the Baptism of Christ and the Last Supper. The rose window above, depicts Christ in majesty. Windows in the aisles contain figures of the Twelve Apostles.

In the south wall of the chancel there was a carved alabaster panel, of English work, depicting the betrayal of Christ by Judas. This was stolen in the 1980’s, but we are fortunate to have a carved wooden replica of it. It is suggested in the Victoria County History of Hampshire that it originally formed part of the reredos of the old Church, but this is not certain. The stone pulpit was removed in 1996, and its base now forms the Altar in the Maberly Chapel.

The Organ is a 19th century instrument, by the London firm of Bevington, originally with a mechanical or tracker action. Ivemey & Cooper rebuilt it in 1939, with pneumatic action. In 1999 it was rebuilt by Henry Willis & Sons, with electric action, and the addition of a second manual.

At the east end of the south aisle, in the arch above the organ screen, is the Hawkley Mural, installed in 1991, and the work of local artist, Sally Maltby. Above the words, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,” it depicts the cycle of life in the countryside.

In the belfry there are eight bells, three of them from the old church, two from about 1450 and one from 1624. When the present church was built, Rebecca Maberly presented two more bells. In 1900, another was added in memory of Churchwarden George Wakeford, and Mr. and Mrs. Clive Davies gave the last two in memory of their son Harold, killed in action with the Royal Navy in World War II. The Tenor weighs 8cwt. 1qtr. 25lbs. and was recast in 1997 in memory of former Tower Captain, Charles Pound. It replaced the one given by Rebecca Maberly in 1867.

To mark the millennium, a new west window was installed. The work of Simon Whistler, it depicts a cockerel, and the crossed key and sword, emblem of St. Peter and St. Paul. The Archdeacon of the Meon, the Ven. Peter Hancock, dedicated it at a special service in September 2000.

Priors Dean Church – A brief history

Priors Dean once belonged to Southwick Priory near Fareham. The small rustic Norman and Early English church on a Saxon foundation, stands in a deep combe among the wooded hangers. It serves a small and scattered rural community, but is noted for the Compton (Tichborne) family monuments. There is a fine old yew in the churchyard. The dedication of the Church is now lost in the mists of time.

The church has a nave and chancel with a timber bell turret carved on four large posts at the west end. It is entered by a fine Norman door ornamented with billet and zigzag mouldings. The nave is Norman but the windows and chancel arch are modern reproductions, as is the font. There was a restoration in 1857, but roofs of both nave and chancel are old.