Godshill Church c1910 - Project Gutenberg eText 17296

All Saints' Church, Godshill is a

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

in the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

located in

Godshill Godshill is a village and civil parish on the Isle of Wight, England, with a population of 1,459 at the 2011 Census. It lies between Newport and Ventnor in the southeast of the island. History Godshill is one of the ancient parishes that exis ...

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...

History

According to legend, the original foundations for the church were laid in a flat, easily accessible site; each morning they were found transferred to the hill where the church exists today. Eventually the builders gave up building it in the planned flat location and built it on the hill. The church is medieval. It is noted for its medieval wall painting of a

Lily crucifix Christian symbolism is the use of symbols, including archetypes, acts, artwork or events, by Christianity. It invests objects or actions with an inner meaning expressing Christian ideas. The symbolism of the early Church was characterized by bei ...

one of only two in Europe. The Lily painting was whitewashed out to save it from destruction during the Reformation. It remained hidden until the 19th century, when it was rediscovered. Godshill, dedicated to All Saints, "a spacious cruciform edifice, with a singular bell-turret on the south gable," consists of a chancel, nave, cross aisles, and tower. From its architecture it is obviously of ancient foundation, and a portion of the present edifice may have stood upon the sacred hill when Fitz-Osbert gave it to the Abbey of Lire. Most of the building, however, is Transitional Norman. Its wealth was very great, from the extent of the adjacent demesnes, and in 1404 it was assessed at 100 marks yearly. When

King Edward VI Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. Edward was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour ...

's commissioners sold the church's plate, it realized not less than £54, 2s. 7d. The

advowson Advowson () or patronage is the right in English law of a patron (avowee) to present to the diocesan bishop (or in some cases the ordinary if not the same person) a nominee for appointment to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, ...

was presented, in 1623, to

Queen's College, Oxford The Queen's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, England. The college was founded in 1341 by Robert de Eglesfield in honour of Philippa of Hainault. It is distinguished by its predominantly neoclassical architecture, ...

, by King Charles I. The church still owns its Elizabethan era

Chalice A chalice (from Latin 'mug', borrowed from Ancient Greek () 'cup') or goblet is a footed cup intended to hold a drink. In religious practice, a chalice is often used for drinking during a ceremony or may carry a certain symbolic meaning. Re ...

on loan to the

Carisbrooke Castle Museum Carisbrooke Castle is a historic motte-and-bailey castle located in the village of Carisbrooke (near Newport), Isle of Wight, England. Charles I was imprisoned at the castle in the months prior to his trial. Early history The site of Carisbro ...

. All Saints is in the anglo-catholic tradition of the Church of England. As a Society Parish, All Saints and St. Albans (Upper Ventnor) are under the episcopal care of the Bishop Of Richborough, one of the special bishops provided by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to give sacrament assurance and pastoral care to Parishes who have passed a resolution under the House of Bishops’ Declaration. The church is in vacancy at present and served by visiting priests, whilst awaiting authority to recruit for 2023. The tower contains a ring of 6 bells which were all cast by Llewellin and James, and are the only ring of bells by this founder on the Island. The biggest weighs 8cwt. The churchyard contains a Commonwealth war grave of a

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...

soldier of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

.
CWGC Casualty record. Within the church is a memorial to Admiral of the Fleet Sir

Dudley Pound Admiral of the Fleet Sir Alfred Dudley Pickman Rogers Pound, (29 August 1877 – 21 October 1943) was a British senior officer of the Royal Navy. He served in the First World War as a battleship commander, taking part in the Battle of Jutland ...

, who died in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

having been First Sea Lord of the Admiralty at its outbreak.

Stained glass

The church has a stained-glass window by

William Morris William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was a British textile designer, poet, artist, novelist, architectural conservationist, printer, translator and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts Movement. He ...

Organ

A specification of the organ can be found on th
National Pipe Organ Register

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Godshill, All Saints Church of England church buildings on the Isle of Wight Grade I listed churches on the Isle of Wight Anglo-Catholic church buildings on the Isle of Wight