St Mary the Virgin Church, Brading, Isle of Wight
ST Mary the Virgin, High Street, Brading, Isle of Wight, PO36 0ED
St Mary the Virgin, Brading, stands in a central position on High Street in the historic town of Brading. The church has medieval origins, with the earliest visible fabric dating from the late 12th century. The nave was probably built in the later 12th century, with the north and south aisles, chancel and west tower added during the 13th century. The north and south chapels and south porch were added in the 15th century, and the chancel was extended eastwards during the 19th-century restoration associated with the Oglander family. The church is especially noted for its unusual west tower, built on open arches, and for its long association with the Oglander family of Nunwell.
ST Mary the Virgin, High Street, Brading, Isle of Wight, PO36 0ED
Access from the pavement includes steps to the front door, with an alternative sloping path from an opening in the church wall to the public adjoining carpark. Inside, the historic floor may be uneven, with stone slabs and tiles.
The wonderful Brading scarecrows will be on display in the church, following the close of the Scarecrow Festival, from Sept. 10th - 20th, to build up to our Harvest Festival. We have the National Lottery funded InfoPoint tours of the church and graveyard to download onto smart phones with history, fun facts of key characters from our rich history, music and dramatisations. We do have the distinction of being the likely site of the first baptism on the island by St Wilfred in 704 AD. (See InfoPoint tour) The Church has a ring of 8 bells.