Many Monuments and the Man of Sorrows - A visit to Stoke Charity Church in Hampshire

Stoke Charity church in Hampshire is a real gem. A very simple building of Norman origins, inside it is a treasure house. There are monuments and brasses galore, particularly crowded into the very atmospheric north chapel or the Hampton chantry. As well as the many monuments, there is medieval glass in the windows, and the rarest thing - a medieval sculpture of the Mass of St Gregory that somehow survived the zeal of the Protestant reformers.
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[@annettewillis2797]

What an extraordinary church! How wonderful that so many monuments and ornaments have survived the ravages of time including the Reformation. Thanks so much Allan.

[@bottytoohotty]

Thanks. Love your work.

[@Parianparlay]

What wonderful treasures, how sad that the house they lived in has disappeared.

[@allanbarton]

Completely vanished - we have lost so many country houses over the last couple of hundred years. One was being demolished nearly every day during the 1950s and 60s as that way of life became unsustainable.

[@monicacall7532]

I feel the same way as you do about the missing house. Was the house pulled down to build something “bigger and better”; pulled down to build a road, car park or ugly flats; or was it just pulled down? It’s such a shame that so much of our history and heritage is no longer valued and appreciated! (I speak as an American who lives in the western US where the unspoken motto is “If it’s old tear it down. Newer is always better.” It rarely is, unfortunately.)

[@excession3076]

@@monicacall7532 Labour Government and huge death taxes during the 50's/60's caused the demise of many estates. Land sold to pay the death duties or simply handed over to the state. Plus an outbreak of really nasty socialism whereby anything old was deemed worthless, it was the cause of much of the destruction of town and city centers. The saying is that much of what survived the blitz/war didn't survive the governments that came after, see London for numerous examples, Hitler was an amateur in comparison. Carried on until almost the 80's and then there was a change of heart. During the 80's there was a huge outpouring of money from the City and many, many buildings on their last legs were saved, if you drove out from London into the home counties at that time, there was restorations going on everywhere.

[@nancytestani1470]

@@allanbartonwow..

[@nancydemoss2945]

Your videos are so fascinating and informative. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us all! I'm drawn to English history and find it compelling as it's part of my ancestry.

[@allanbarton]

My pleasure Nancy, it is a privilege to share these places with you all.

[@388Caroline]

The Mass sculpture of Saint Gregory is beautiful 🙏

[@pameladavis3879]

Beautiful. I'm from America and legally blind. I no I will never be able to go to the United Kingdom. So I'm so thankful that you are showing us all the churches, and all the history of the United Kingdom. You are a God send.

[@allanbarton]

It is my pleasure - God bless you.

[@stevedunn3113]

Excellent commentary on a church that is always enjoyable to visit. Thank you, Allan.

[@allanbarton]

Thanks, Steve, I can't believe it has taken me 45 years to get here! It has long been on my list, it was exciting to step through the door for the first time and just be wowed by the treasures within - it does not disappoint. Think of my poor daughter who had to endure two hours here - she loved it, but couldn't believe it took me so long, but I didn't want to leave!

[@stevedunn3113]

@@allanbarton Well worth the wait! Daughters have their uses, especially if there is lunch in the deal.

[@tek5692]

I have started watching all your church tours, and I am so grateful to you for sharing these holy and beautiful places with us. I feel like each visit is a little virtual pilgrimage. It is a joy to see these ancient holy places, permeated with centuries of prayer and worship.

[@allanbarton]

It's such a privilege to be able to share these little-known gems with a wider, appreciative audience. Glad you're enjoying them!

[@shellstars]

Amazing, as are all your videos. Thank you. I would have never know if this place if you had not made this.

[@allanbarton]

Thank you very much! Delighted to introduce it to you.

[@charityrochford2175]

What a treat to see such a beautiful church And to find that it has my name related. Thank you!

[@nancytestani1470]

Look at everything!

[@nancytestani1470]

Maybe you could do, if possible, Who is buried at Teweskbury, did I spell it right…and take us through Westminster Abbey. I have never found an excellent podcast yet. You would be wonderful at it.

[@bessofhardwick9311]

What a beautiful place. I'm binge-watching your videos again. This has now become a weekend event :)

[@allanbarton]

Glad you’re enjoying my videos! 😊

[@jonescrusher1]

It's nice and light inside, I like the window restorations.

[@laikanbarth]

Absolutely amazing!! Thank you for sharing this!!

[@margyduke1136]

Allan...I absolutely love your videos

[@allanbarton]

Thank you Margy - lots more to come.

[@blorac9869]

WOW, enjoyed, TYVM!

[@G.V.A.K]

Absolutely wonderful. Thank you.

[@athenaartfoundation]

Loved this video, thank you for sharing! Filming on location works really well, too, makes it all come to life :)

[@allanbarton]

Thank you - it is really fun walking around the church and just waffling on about the things I love!

[@athenaartfoundation]

@@allanbarton the best!

[@rhiannonpoole6019]

Thank you for another fascinating video. When you say, I'm afraid it's going to be a long one, I could watch one three times as long, with deeper explanations - as it is, I leave your videos with a host of things to google and find out more about!

[@allanbarton]

That's wonderful to hear, thank you! So glad you're enjoying my videos!

[@davidd6171]

Fantastic! Thanks for bringing us these in-person tour videos! At this rate, I won't have to travel to the UK myself haha.

[@allanbarton]

You should still come!

[@icebergrose8955]

Very interesting. Amazing to think they all lived in the time of Richard III. Love the posts, fan from New Zealand.

[@bellummm3677]

Aye fellow watcher from nz

[@nancytestani1470]

Gorgeous, tombs…….!

[@chriscaughey1103]

This is a beautiful church!

[@lucymortlock279]

Thank you for the tour! I went twice at different times today and it wasn't open 😒 will definitely pop back another time.

[@allanbarton]

You must, it is very much worth the effort. Very surprised you found it locked.

[@nancytestani1470]

Beautiful…

[@MrJerryleyva]

Fascinating and beautiful church! I so enjoy your visits to the various churches. It's sad to see the effects of iconoclasts and the reformation when so many beautiful works of art and glass were wantonly destroyed or the Victorians efforts at "improvements". I have an interesting, if rather morbid question. Are there actually bodies in the tomb chests themselves, or are they deposited into a vault beneath the chest itself? Thank you and keep up the wonderful videos!

[@AulicExclusiva]

Always moved to see a church or chapel dedicated to St Thomas Cantuar.

[@allanbarton]

There was such a strong devotion to him as thr middle ages went on. If you have a strong stomach, somewhere else on the channel I've posted a vicious piece of iconoclasm against his image on a rood screen.

[@prarieborn6458]

@@allanbarton it is the viciousness of the reformation that has always shocked me and turned my sympathy when I was protestant to the Catholic Church.I reasoned that where there was so much smoke and uproar, there had to be a fire somewhere. .Still, in my old age, I cannot wrap my mind around what was so offensive about Christ on the Cross and His suffering, and all the devotion that His Passion inspired. Especially it seems to me, it was the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass enacted upon the altars that enraged the reformers, to the point of burning believers in the Real Presence at the stake. And indeed, the stone altars theselves were so offensive and dangerous that they had to go.Thank you pointing out the stone altar that is on the floor in the church. Is it the original, do you know? If so, how might it have survived? I have read about the priests who returned incognito to England and traveled to minister to the faithful remnant in secret. They carried with them a tile of marble or stone for their altar.If they were discovered, they were put to death.. Your work on this channel has deepened my knowledge of the scope of the Terrorism. The survival of the St Gregory Mass, is miraculous.in itself. Perhaps it was sheer ignorance of the signficance of the scupture that saved it? . There is a story to tell, if only the stones could speak. i am wondering if this beautiful church has worship services for the community.?

[@cook13doodle16]

Yes!!!

[@TT-zd6nr]

Were the chapels also endowed chantries? I ask this as I could see no piscinas in the video. I have an interest as my own rural and far more humble Suffolk church has a demolished chantry - the main evidence being an early C14 piscina before an early C18 bricked- up arch which presumably led somewhere. Issue 2 of the Antiquary was very good by the way

[@allanbarton]

Thank you, I am so pleased you liked it. Not necessarily a perpetual chantry with lands alienated by royal licence and a permanent chaplain. So this is properly called a mortuary chapel - though it is highly likely that a priest would have been employed for months or years to pray for their soul, without a permanent arrangement being made. I should look out the wills. Piscinas often don't survive or get filled in, so it is not 100% foolproof evidence either way for an altar. There was certainly one here, as the communion table here now is resting on the medieval altar slab.

[@monicacall7532]

What a wonderful church! To see those original tombs, the brasses, and best of all, the original colors on the tombs and walls was pure delight. It’s the first small English church that I’ve seen on KZbin, in film and in books/magazines where I caught a real glimpse of what it must’ve been like to worship in a church like that centuries past. Is it common for smaller churches to have only one side aisle? I’ve only seen churches with two side aisles or none at all in videos other than yours. How do you find these marvelous churches? I have a question about your magazine. Do you have an online version? I live in the US, so mailing a hard copy to me would be a “pain” as we Americans say. I very much would like to subscribe to it. Your channel has become my favorite one on KZbin. Many thanks.

[@nothingtonooneinparticular8500]

What are squints and who would make use of them, during services?

[@Okejinka]

How can I get your book the Antiquary? I’m in Nigeria.

[@gervaisfrykman266]

There is a Trinity brass on a table tomb in the chancel of the church in Tideswell, Derbyshire.

[@allanbarton]

It is amazing just how many survived the hands of the reformers.

[@gervaisfrykman266]

@@allanbarton You are clearly an enthusiast. Do you know Partrishow or Patriccio church in the back of beyond near Abergavenny? Perhaps because of its remoteness it has retained a fabulous rood screen, though in itself it is a very modest building. They seem to have heard the order to dismantle the stone altars with Beethovenian ears, because there are three, two against the rood screen and one in the cell attached to the church at the west.

[@allanbarton]

@@gervaisfrykman266 I lived in Wales for some years, and that church and the little well below it are among my favourite haunts. The whole place is splendid, and it has a very special atmosphere. I printed an article about the church in a recent magazine issue.

[@gavinwatson6195]

How on earth, one wonders, did the St. Gregory survive Henry's Commissioners and the later Puritans?

[@allanbarton]

A great mystery really - it shows no sign of having been buried. The two images of the Man of Sorrows on the monuments would have attracted the iconoclasts ire, but they remain too. All very odd.

[@ruthannemackinnon588]

Very sad when you consider these devout Catholics who founded & we're buried in Catholic chapels that are now protestant. Bet they'd move out if they could

[@nancytestani1470]

So the crypt would be below…

[@lukealadeen7836]

Do the tombs still have bodies inside?

[@allanbarton]

The bodies will be buried underneath rather than in the tombs.

[@lukealadeen7836]

@@allanbarton don't the parishioners find it a little unsettling having bodies all over the inside of their church

[@reginaromsey]

A wonderful example that these small churches escaped Henry VIII’s savaging

[@allanbarton]

It helps that it is such a remote place.

[@nancytestani1470]

So, when catholic…the walls would not be painted white…be all coloured, gilt, apostles pictures..maybe saints..?