Country Churches

115. St Nicholas Brockenhurst

This fine 12th century church, the oldest in the New Forest, is built on a small hillock in woods away from the village, on the site of a former Saxon church. The small tower is surmounted by a short octagonal spire roofed with mathematical tiles.

The 13th century porch, containing the Brockenhurst War Memorial, leads to a fine Norman doorway with chevron mouldings and scalloped capitals. To the right of the doorway is a two light Tudor window with glass depicting King David and St Cecilia. In the south west corner of the nave stands a lead lined font of Purbeck stone dating from the twelfth century. Behind is a Tudor arch over the entrance to the tower.

The chancel contains many memorials of the Morant family, the former Lords of the Manor. The east window has Victorian glass showing the four Apostles. Four side windows contain attractive glass showing lilies, passion flowers, sunflowers as well as a vine and grapes.

The north aisle, added in 1832, contains four small panels of modern glass. They portray St Francis and birds, St Christopher and the Christ child, St Nicholas standing in a ship (in memory of the Rev Gill who died in 1924). The fourth commemorates Commander Gerard Grandy RN and shows a map of Africa and two heraldic shields inscribed around with the words “Thou hast made a way in the sea and a safe path in the waves.”

Above the window is a memorial to Ensign Thomas Morant of the First Regiment of Foot Guards who died whilst campaigning in Holland on 2 September 1809 aged 19. In the north east corner are many memorials of the Bowden Smith family as well as a plaque commemorating H.A.L.Fisher the famous historian. On the wall above hangs a New Zealand flag in memory of the New Zealand hospital set up in Brockenhurst in 1916. Every Anzac Day a memorial service is held in the church in memory of the 100 men who died there between 1916-1919.

Other features in the church include the west end gallery dating from a restoration of 1872 where the organ is now installed. On the west wall near the tower is a copy of the will of John Draper who died in 1539. He bequeathed ‘one heifer’ to the church. In the north west corner is a modern reproduction of the Squires Pew destroyed by fire in 1975. On the wall near the south door hang the Arms of Queen Anne as well as a tablet commemorating Arthur Chambers, who died in 1918, famous for ‘his inspiring and prophetic writings’.

Outside in the churchyard notice the nave window east of the porch. Above is a small shield of the arms of Fitzalan 12th Earl of Arundel and his son Henry Lord Maltravers. In the middle of the churchyard is a massive 1,000 year old yew tree more than 70 feet in girth.

Before leaving stroll down to the large churchyard extension on the north side. Here can be found the Imperial War Graves Cemetery containing the graves of the 100 New Zealanders who died in the Military Hospital as well as a few graves of Indian soldiers. One has an unusual inscription stating ‘this stone erected by the parishioners of Brockenhurst to mark the spot where laid the earthly body of SUKHA resident of Mohilla, Gungapor city Bareilly, United Provinces India, who left country and home and friends to serve our King and Emperor in the great European War as a humble servant of the Lady Hardinge hospital for wounded Indian soldiers in this parish. He departed this life on January 12 1915 aged 30. By creed not a Christian but his earthly life was sacrificed in the interests of others’. Not far away is another interesting gravestone in memory of Brusher Mills, famous as a local snake catcher in Victorian times. He is depicted at the top as a rather bearded tramp like figure holding some snakes. Today there is a pub in Brockenhurst called ‘The Snake Catcher’ presumably named in honour of this unusual character.

John Symonds