St Mary the Virgin Church, Brook, Isle of Wight
St Mary the Virgin, Brook, Isle of Wight, On the Hill above the village, Brook, Isle of Wight, PO30 4EP
St Mary the Virgin, Brook, stands on a hill above the village and has medieval origins. The original 13th-century church was badly damaged by fire in 1863, leaving the lower stages of the tower and the arch from the porch into the nave as the principal medieval survivals. The present church was rebuilt in 1864 in Early English style by architect Willoughby Mullins, with funding from Charles Seely MP, whose estate included Brook. The tower was later heightened in 1889, when a third stage and small spire were added. The church is now regarded as one of the best-preserved small Victorian churches on the Isle of Wight, with much of its 19th-century interior decoration and craftsmanship still intact.
Timings
- Friday 11 September:
- 11:00 to 15:00
- Saturday 12 September:
- 11:00 to 15:00
- Sunday 13 September:
- 11:00 to 15:00
- Monday 14 September:
- 11:00 to 15:00
- Tuesday 15 September:
- 11:00 to 15:00
- Wednesday 16 September:
- 11:00 to 15:00
- Thursday 17 September:
- 11:00 to 15:00
- Friday 18 September:
- 11:00 to 15:00
- Saturday 19 September:
- 11:00 to 15:00
- Sunday 20 September:
- 11:00 to 15:00
Location & directions
St Mary the Virgin, Brook, Isle of Wight, On the Hill above the village, Brook, Isle of Wight, PO30 4EP
- Directions:
- The church stands on a hill above Brook village.
- Contact on day:
- Sarah Allen
- Telephone number:
- +447500117741
Booking information
- Pre-booking requirement:
- Pre-booking not required
Accessibility details
Visitors should allow for sloping access and check current arrangements before attending if step-free access, parking or specific assistance is required. Service and visitor arrangements may change, and the West Wight Benefice asks visitors to check the monthly notices, church porch information or contact the administrator for the latest details.
Additional information
The RNLI lifeboat service boards, displayed behind the font, are especially important timber memorials, recording vessels assisted and lives saved by the Brook lifeboats. Brook’s lifeboat association began with a government-funded boat in 1851 and continued under the RNLI from 1860 until the station closed in 1937; local horses were used to haul the lifeboat down to the beach, and the service became a major part of the village’s coastal identity.
