St Andrew's Chale, Isle of Wight
St Andrew's, Church Place, Chale, Ventnor, Isle of Wight, PO38 2HA
St Andrew’s, Chale, is one of the oldest parish churches on the Isle of Wight, with a Christian presence on the site for around 900 years. The church was dedicated on 1 December 1114 by the Bishop of Winchester in the presence of Hugh de Gernon, who is traditionally regarded as its founder. The present building is mainly medieval, with the nave, aisles, chancel and south or Manor Chapel largely dating from the 14th century. In the 15th century the Manor Chapel was lengthened, the nave and aisles were extended westwards, and the north and south porches and west tower were added. The east end of the chancel was later extended in 1832, and Victorian alterations further shaped the building while preserving its late medieval character.
St Andrew's, Church Place, Chale, Ventnor, Isle of Wight, PO38 2HA
Parking on the road only.
The churchyard has recorded local burials from 1679 onwards and includes victims of shipwrecks in Chale Bay, among them those connected with the wreck of the Clarendon in 1836. A local tradition also tells of a blocked doorway and a supposed smugglers’ tunnel running from the church towards the beach, reflecting Chale’s coastal setting and the wider maritime folklore of the Island. The church has a ring of 6 bells for full-circle change ringing.