Old Church of St Mary the Virgin, Preston Candover facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Old Church of St Mary the Virgin, Preston Candover
Chancel of the Old Church of St Mary the Virgin, Preston Candover
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OS grid reference	SU 603 414
Location	Preston Candover, Hampshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	Churches Conservation Trust
History
Founded	c. 1190
Dedication	Virgin Mary
Architecture
Functional status	Redundant
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Designated	26 April 1957
Architectural type	Church (chancel only)
Style	Gothic
Demolished	1885 (other than the chancel)
Specifications
Materials	Flint with stone dressings and brick quoins Roof tiled.

The Old Church of St Mary the Virgin is a very old church in Preston Candover, Hampshire, England. It's an Anglican church, which means it belongs to the Church of England. Today, only the front part, called the chancel, is still standing. This special old building is protected as a Grade II* listed building. This means it's an important historical site. The Churches Conservation Trust looks after it. You can find it in the southern part of the village, near the B3046 road.

History of the Old Church

This church was first built around the year 1190. Imagine how old that is! In 1681, a fire damaged the church. After the fire, it was rebuilt. At that time, people think it had one long main room and side sections called transepts. It also had a bell tower covered in wood on the west side. This tower had a pyramid-shaped roof.

In 1831, the church was made bigger. This added space for 48 more people to sit. But by 1885, the church building was in very bad shape. Most of it had to be pulled down. Only the chancel (the front part) was saved. A brand new church, also named St Mary the Virgin, was built closer to the center of the village. The old church building is open every day for visitors to see.

What the Church Looks Like

Outside the Chancel

The chancel is built using flint stones. It has stone details and brick corners, called quoins. The roof is covered with tiles. The west wall was added when the rest of the church was taken down. This wall is made of rough stones. The building is almost square when you look at it from above.

On the west wall, there is a round-topped doorway. The north wall has a small, narrow window. This window is called a lancet window and dates back to about 1190. On the south wall, there is a window with two lights. This window is in the Perpendicular style. There is also a priest's door here, but it is now blocked up. The east window is round-topped and has just one light. On the west gable (the triangular part of the wall), there is a small wooden bell tower.

Inside the Chancel

The floor inside the church has some old medieval tiles. You can also see special stone slabs and metal plates, called brasses. These date from the 1600s and 1700s. On the north and south walls, there are four beautiful marble memorials. These memorials are from between 1729 and 1798.

On the west wall, there is a framed painting. It tells about the church being made bigger in 1831. There are also two boards with the Ten Commandments written on them. The east wall has old wall paintings. These were probably made in the 1700s. Inside the church, you can also find a small piscina. This is a stone basin used for washing sacred vessels. The altar rails, which separate the altar from the rest of the church, are from the 1600s.

See also

• List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in South East England