Hawkley Parish Church

The Church of St. Peter & St. Paul , dating from 1865, is a fine example built in the Norman style in local stone. Its architect was Samuel Sanders Teulon. He was of Huguenot descent, born in 1812 at Greenwich, setting up in independent practice in 1838, and being constantly in demand until he died in 1873.

Teulon's earlier designs were generally in Tudor or Elizabethan styles, but he later became a supporter of the Gothic revival; he also restored and recast many Churches. It was J.J. Maberly, of Hawkley Hurst, for whom he had previously designed a house, who commissioned Teulon to build the Church. It is in stone after a simple design in the Norman style; and the tower is a ?Rhenish Helm?, more usually found on the continent, though there is a fine medieval example at Sompting in Sussex. It is not known what were the reasons for the design being used here, nor indeed for any of the designs for the rest of the Church, which are very restrained and must have been entirely different from Teulon's usual style at that date. At all events he has left us a Church which is both suitable to its surroundings, and extremely attractive in itself, and for which we have every reason to be grateful.

The building is cruciform, though the transverse arms terminated by gables containing rose windows, do not extend beyond the ground plan of the aisles. The nave is divided into three bays. The pillars which separate it from the aisles have elaborately carved capitals, the subjects being emblems of our Lord and of the Evangelists. The corbels supporting the open timbered roof are carved into the forms of the trees mentioned in Scripture, the palm, plane, ebony, vine, pomegranate, fig, gourd, olive and rose of Sharon. The corbels in the aisles are angels.

The east window consists of three lights, above which is a circular window. These are memorial windows and filled with painted glass by Ward and Hughes. In the centre is the Ascension, and on either side, the Baptism of Christ and the Last Supper. The rose window above, depicts Christ in majesty. Windows in the aisles contain figures of the Twelve Apostles.

In the south wall of the chancel there was a particularly fine carved alabaster panel, of English work, depicting the betrayal of Christ by Judas. This was stolen in the 1980's, but we are fortunate to have a carved wooden replica of it. It is suggested in the Victoria County History of Hampshire that it originally formed part of the reredos of the old Church, but this is not certain. The stone pulpit was removed in 1996, and its base now forms the Altar in the Maberly Chapel.

The Organ is a 19th century instrument, by the London firm of Bevington, originally with a mechanical or tracker action. Ivemey & Cooper rebuilt it in 1939, with pneumatic action. In 1999 it was rebuilt by Henry Willis & Sons, with electric action, and the addition of a second manual.

At the east end of the south aisle, in the arch above the organ screen, is the Hawkley Mural, installed in 1991, and the work of local artist, Sally Maltby. Above the words, ?I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,? it depicts the cycle of life in the countryside.

In the belfry there are eight bells, three of them from the old church, two from about 1450 and one from 1624. When the present church was built, Rebecca Maberly presented two more bells. In 1900, another was added in memory of Churchwarden George Wakeford, and Mr. and Mrs. Clive Davies gave the last two in memory of their son Harold, killed in action with the Royal Navy in World War II. The Tenor weighs 8cwt. 1qtr. 25lbs. and was recast in 1997 in memory of former Tower Captain, Charles Pound. It replaced the one given by Rebecca Maberly in 1867.

To mark the millennium, a new west window was installed. It is the work of Simon Whistler, and depicts a cockerel, and the crossed key and sword, emblem of St. Peter and St. Paul. The Archdeacon of the Meon, the Ven. Peter Hancock, dedicated it at a special service in September 2000.

The Church of St. Peter & St. Paul
Church Wardens	Graham Johnson	01730 827222
	Mrs. Christine Offin	01730 827261
Treasurer	Robin Crittenden	01730 827969
Secretary	Miss Elizabeth Hawkins	01730 827502
The Vicar	The Rev. David Heatley	01730 827459

Priors Dean is a small, scattered hamlet in an isolated rural area. There is no village hall or shop, only the tiny, ancient church at the centre of the parish. The church is in an isolated position, though the Manor House and some cottages are nearby. Its origins are lost in the mists of time, as is the dedication of the church. It may be on a pagan site, and it is almost certain that the yew tree in the churchyard is over 2000 years old. Some distance away, almost on what, in comparison with the lanes, might be called a main road, and nearly in the neighbouring parish of Froxfield, is the White Horse Inn, or "Pub with no name". Here, the poet Edward Thomas, who lived just down the road at Steep, was inspired to write Up in the Wind. The area round about is one of the highest parts of Hampshire.

Priors Dean Church

Priors Dean once belonged to Southwick Priory near Fareham. The small rustic Norman and Early English Church on a Saxon foundation, stands in a deep combe among the wooded hangers. It serves a small and scattered rural community, but is noted for the Compton (Tichborne) family monuments.

The Church has a nave and chancel with a timber bell turret carved on four large posts at the west end. It is entered by a fine Norman door ornamented with billet and zigzag mouldings. The nave is Norman but the windows and chancel arch are modern reproductions, as is the font. There was a restoration in 1857, but roofs of both nave and chancel are old.

The Chancel is Early English, containing a piscina and the following monuments:

(1) on floor in north east corner, brass to John and Joan Compton, 1586;

(2) on north wall, Bndget (nee Compton), wife of Nicholas Stoughton, who was born in 1610, married in 1625, aged 15, and died in 1631 aged 21. She is represented by a kneeling effigy under a canopy, her two surviving daughters beside her, while two of her children who died are shown in their shrouds. A long Latin inscription records the details of this tragic girl;

(3) on the same wall another kneeling effigy, coloured, under a canopy to Elizabeth Tichborne (nee Compton), 1622, sister of Bridget Compton;

(4) on the south wall a very handsome monument of alabaster and black marble to Sir John Compton and his wife Bridget, 1653, with their portrait busts in oval frames. This was set up by Compton Tichborne, their grandson, whose similar memorial adjoins that of his grandparents on the west.

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