St Swithin's Church, Thorley, Isle of Wight

St Swithin's, Thorley, is a distinctive Victorian parish church built in 1871 to serve the village more conveniently than the older medieval church near Thorley Manor. Designed by W. J. Stratton and consecrated on 9 December 1871, it was built in a late 13th-century Gothic manner and incorporates several important fittings from the earlier church, including the font, a 17th-century altar table, and two remarkable 13th-century bells now hung in its open bell tower. The present building consists of a nave, chancel, transepts, and an unusual twin-bellcote tower that gives it a striking silhouette. The earlier church site, close to Thorley Manor, has a history of its own: founded in about 1270 as a manorial chapel, it gradually fell into disrepair and the last service there was held in March 1871 before worship moved to the new church. Part of the old building survived and was adapted as a mortuary chapel, preserving its medieval porch and bell turret, and the remains are now separately listed at Grade II*. The surrounding old graveyard, with its chest tombs and memorials, remains an evocative survival of Thorley’s earlier parish history and helps explain why the old site is still such an important local landmark. St Swithin’s also contains a notable 1875 organ by Forster and Andrews. Its Grade II listed status reflects both its architectural character and its historic significance within the village.

Timings

Sunday 13 September:

11:00 to 15:00

Monday 14 September:

12:00 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 (09:30 Morning Worship)

Location & directions

St Swithin's, Thorley Street, Thorley, Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, PO41 0SS

Directions:

The Church is in the centre of Thorley

Contact on day:

Andrew Liddiard (Churchwarden)

Telephone number:

+447395968863

Booking information

Pre-booking requirement:

Pre-booking not required

Accessibility details

No onsite parking, only main road.

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