This church is a beautiful building in Fratton, on the corner of St. Mary's Road and Fratton Road…read more The current building was consecrated on 10th October 1889 and was designed by Sir Arthur Bloomfield. It is part of the parish of St. Mary, Portsea which also includes the nearby churches St. Wilfrid's and St. Faith's. The 165 foot high tower is currently being renovated and the parish is raising the funds to complete this. I first attended St. Mary's Church in the summer and was amazed at the warm welcome I received and the friendliness of everyone. I have been included in lots of events including a barbecue, Harvest Supper (where the clergy did an hilarious version of songs from Mamma Mia!!) and the Autumn Fayre.

I am not a religious person, but I like St Marys church for 3 reasons…read more Every year it holds a fantastic May Day Fete with lots of stalls and attractions. I go every year, and have taken the opportunity to climb the tower and enjoy the wonderful views from the top. It's always an extremely well attended event no matter the weather, and is popular with all ages. The kids love the pony rides and I love all the bric a brac stalls. The second reason I like St Marys church is that it is a really nice building. I love driving by and seeing weddings going on, or seeing Brides and Grooms arriving by horse drawn cart (this is not such a rare occasion when we have beautiful sunny summers)! The third thing I enjoy is the fact that it provides a green open space in the Fratton area of Portsmouth (which is a real rarity these days) and there are benches so you can sit and enjoy a bit of a rest.

Just attended a Candlelight Remberance Service organised by Ruby Funerals ltd, first time I have…read morebeen in this Church. The Service was well organised. I must say that Holy Trinity is simple, but very elegant. Share the Vicar with Christchurh Church on Stoke Road.

Unbelievably gorgeous cathedral, housing the earthly remains of some of Britain's most eminent…read moreindividuals, including the incomparable author, Jane Austen. Walk its cavernous, echoing nave, its vaunted halls, and its (potentially) flooded catacombs (at the time of my visit, it was, anyway). Admission is £5 or £6, and the grounds include a gift shop and cafe, although we all know why you're here. Spend some money and keep this place alive, will ya?

History. Beauty. A true experience…read more The church contains a beautiful patio alongside their cafe, a nice gift shop, and of course lovely services.

After visiting the beautiful Titchfield Abbey we stopped here on the way back to our BnB…read more It's a nice little ruin. The Priory was founded over 900 years ago! Even though some parts are collapsed, it's still standing at full height. There's just a small parking lot. But we were still the only visitors on the sunny summer weekday. Quite surprising. Because it's free to enter, pet-friendly and quite pretty. And you actually get two sights with one visit: The equally beautiful Priory of St Mary & St Blaise is just next to and still in use. A very pretty priory with a surrounding graveyard. Both the inside and the outsides are free to roam and visit. Maybe not one of the biggest and most famous sights in southern England, but a very pretty one and well worth a stop.

To-day, Boxgrove is by-passed, sandwiched between the A285 and the A27 east of Chichester. But in…read morethe Middle Ages, this was the site of a magnificent priory, founded in 1117. The ruins of the priory buildings are the first things you notice when arriving down the gravel path to the church. As well as the imposing remains of the guest hall, at the side of the church are delightful fragments of the cloister, now a garden and, entering the church precinct, the remains of the Norman nave. But enough of the ruins, for after the dissolution the parish took over the crossing and chancel as its parish church, preferring this to the previous parish nave, which they demolished. Entering through the substantial porch, you can see why, for the chancel is magnificent: one of the outstanding mediaeval buildings in Sussex, and of a quality surpassing the Cathedral in Chichester. The crossing and transept arches are huge, although the transepts themselves are rather gloomy, courtesy of heavy oak galleries and dark stained glass. This draws the eye to the chancel itself (now used as the nave), with the arcade piers - all different - gradually changing in style from Norman to Early English as they progress towards the East End. Simple Caen stone gives way to delicate clusters of black Purbeck marble, with pairs of pointed arches framed by round-arched blind arcades. Above these is a generous Early English clerestory, and above that a high stone vault, which retains its 16th-century decorative scheme. The walls are lined with the bases of tombs, presumably of former Priors, their effigies long removed. But in the chancel is the chantry built for the 9th Lord de Warre and his wife in 1532. Although never used - a dispute with Henry VIII caused the Lord to move estates before his death - it is a work of astonishing quality. Relief carvings cover every inch, with heavy bosses dripping yet more decoration. The subjects possess a delightful humour in their execution. The Priory has an excellent choir, who take advantage of the perfect acoustics to sing plain-chant and polyphonic choral pieces in keeping with its monastic tradition.

Visiting St John's church for the first time, you could be forgiven for thinking you were entering…read morea Nonconformist Chapel. But this Anglican church, tucked away in a quiet corner of Chichester, is a rare and perfectly preserved example of an early 19th century evangelical 'preaching house'. Dating from 1812, it is built in a severe but elegant Classical style. Unusually, it was privately funded and run by trustees from the evangelical movement of the Church of England - such schisms are not a new phenomenon! The Ministers were largely paid for by the rent from the pews in the galleries, and the rich not only had their own pews but their own entrances too - clearly, not all here were equal in the sight of God... As well as the severe decor - which offers little to distract the congregation from the proceedings - the dominance of the central pulpit reflects the emphasis on sermons and scripture readings in evangelical worship. The impressive triple-decker pulpit is itself a rare survivor, and completely dominates the altar (or rather Communion Table) behind. The four painted tablets are also interesting survivors. Although rather plain, the building is a fascinating example of a religious phenomenon, and a remarkably peaceful place in which to sit for a while. The Church is also used regularly for concerts, especially during the Chichester Festival. It is now in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.

Great Sermon this week and good to hear it read form the king james bible…read moreand i can recommend Providence Chapel

If any church could define peace and tranquility, it would be St Andrew's, Didling. Its village is…read moretiny - barely a few houses and a farm - although once the population may have been greater, perhaps before the Black Death. Anyway, at some point it was large enough to build this tiny church, set in rolling fields and nestled under the north slope of the South Downs. It is reached through narrow lanes, with high hedges full of wild flowers. The church was built about 1220, and the south wall rebuilt about a century later. Barely 46ft long (15m), there is no chancel arch - just some pews dating from before the Reformation (with backs added at a later date), a 17th century pulpit and an 11th century font. But as architecture goes, it is simple and rustic, the atmosphere enhanced further in winter by candle-light (there is no electric lighting). The church is known locally as the "Shepherd's Church", and indeed, on my last visit, all one could hear was the flock in the adjacent field. The churchyard has an ancient Yew tree, some 17th century gravestones and stunning views across the surrounding countryside. Thoughtfully, there a bench on which to sit and contemplate it all before you set off home.

Beautiful and peaceful place to be here in the Rother. My ancestor, William Austin travelled from…read moreIden, near Rye to make his home here. This was back in the early 1700's. Nearby is Treyford, so some records show Treyford-cum-Didling. St Andrews' church is well maintained and worth a visit. Look out for the lambs!!

Wonderful experience in this historic beautiful Cathedral. Well worth the entrance fee…read more-experienced, knowledgeable pleasant volunteer guides lead you through the huge complex.

It's a very long church. Some of the kings buried here reigned 1400 years ago. Kings had very…read moredifferent names back then. Many different rooms to go into. You can spend a long time in here looking at all the details. There is an entrance fee. You can go in for free if you are there to pray. There was a choir practicing when I was there. This is the big attraction of Winchester, it's located just behind the high street and there is a big park next to it.