St. Mary's Church, Brighstone

Coordinates: 50°38′32″N 01°23′39″W / 50.64222°N 1.39417°W

St. Mary's Church, Brighstone
St. Mary's Church, Brighstone
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Broad Church
Website	www.brighstonecofechurches.co.uk/brighstone.asp
History
Dedication	St. Mary
Administration
Parish	Brighstone
Diocese	Portsmouth
Province	Canterbury
Clergy
Vicar(s)	Revd Malcolm Williams

Memorial to George Cairns VC.

St. Mary's Church, Brighstone, is a parish church in the Church of England located in Brighstone, Isle of Wight. The churchyard contains a memorial stone to George Albert Cairns VC.

History

The church is medieval dating from the twelfth century.^[1] The short tower contains a ring of 6 bells all cast by Whitechapel Bell Foundry in 1961. The largest weighs 7cwt. The spire was added in the 17th century.

Today

The church holds an annual Christmas tree festival (the Brighstone Christmas Tree Festival) in conjunction with the one at Mottistone that has become a popular tourist attraction.^[2]

This event occurs in four locations:

• St Mary's Church, Brighstone
• Brighstone Methodist Church
• St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, Mottistone
• Wilberforce Hall,Brighstone.

Several hundred entries are created by individuals, groups and businesses, making it one of the biggest festivals of its type.

Parish status

The church is grouped with:

• St. Mary's Church, Brighstone
• St. Mary's Church, Brook
• St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, Mottistone

List of incumbents

Three former Rectors have become Bishops:

• Thomas Ken hymn writer
• Samuel Wilberforce - the youngest son of William Wilberforce
• George Moberly - became Bishop of Salisbury

Organ

The church does not have a pipe organ but instead has an electric one at the west end of the nave. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.

References

1. The Buildings of England, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Nikolaus Pevsner
2. islandpulse.co.uk/b2/brighstone-christmas-tree-festival-2009