Bonchurch - An Impromptu Post for St Boniface's Feast Day

Today is the feast day of a great English saint, Boniface. Born in Devon (south-west England) in 680, and was educated in the monastery at Exeter from the age of 13. He became a monk there, but later moved to a monastery in the Winchester diocese, where he was ordained to the priesthood at the age of 30. He later, famously, went to Germany, where he evangelised the still pagan Saxons, dying in 755. He was a popular saint in the early medieval period, and I have previously featured another church dedicated to him in northwest England - you can find the first post here (there are two on this lovely church).

But today I’m going to show you a much less well known church of St Boniface, with a local tradition regarding him.

This is the “old church” at Bonchurch, now mainly used in summer. The name of the place is believed to derive from Boniface. It’s on the east coast of the Isle of Wight, off the south coast of England and not very far from Winchester, where Boniface spent his years up to and shortly after his ordination. Tradition says he preached here, which is certainly credible, given its proximity to Winchester. The people of the Isle of Wight had a reputation for being savage and uncivilised, by the standards of the day and so this island may have been a “trial run” for his evangelisation in Frisia (roughly Germany and Holland today).

Monks from an abbey in Normandy later arrived here, landing in the bay below the church, called Monks Bay today. They rebuilt the church, but given the small size of this church, it does seem likely to replicate an earlier Anglo-Saxon church.

While the current porch superstructure is 18th century, the seating looks older and door arch older still. Local tradition says the church was rebuilt in 1070, and this seems very plausible - the Norman invaders rebuilt almost every church in England after the Conquest of 1066. The monks would have been invited to come over by the local landowner, who was given this area by William the Conqueror. The village is recorded in the Domesday Book.

The arch over the door is not classic Romanesque and does match the 1070 date, though it could even be slightly older. Whatever the exact date, the 11th century seems most likely.

The door is very old too; while on the Isle of Wight, I noticed a few doors built in a similar way and this could easily be 13th or 14th century. Simple but durable.

This is the inside of the church. Until recently it had no electricity, hence the candle holder you see hanging from the ceiling. It is believed the first stone church was extended, and the original 1070 building may have ended just behind the door on the right.

The chancel itself was rebuilt in the 14th century, and the arch has clearly been reconstructed too, but the form and width of it suggest that they replicated an earlier Anglo-Saxon or early Norman 11th century arch. Standing here, you stand where people stood 1000 years ago for Holy Mass.

On the north wall is a remnant of medieval painting. It’s not clear what it is; the church guide suggests the Last Judgment but this would be an unusual place for that - the Last Judgment would normally have been on the chancel arch. Given the obvious architecture depicted at right, it seems more likely to have been an image of a saint, perhaps St Boniface, or even the Annunciation.

I visited this place in 2022, one of the first churches in my church crawling odyssey. It was peaceful, prayerful and the sunlight streamed through the glass. Outside the heatwave scorched everything; inside was cool and restful. Just what a church should be, a refuge from the outside world.

I love churches like this; unchanged in essence for 1000 years, sadly largely unused today but still holding that indefinable something you often find in ancient churches.

This is a short post - if you are interested in old churches in England and want to see more, I do a post each week for paid subscribers. The subject matter varies but I cover individual churches, particular features of medieval churches in general and other aspects of history which I discover on my pilgrimage through life.

If you don’t want to take out a paid subscription, but wish to support my writing please consider leaving a tip! Thanks for your support.

Have you seen my new publication - Shepherd’s Prayer? Available now via Amazon around the world, the isbn is: 979-8344184814.