THE OLD CHURCH THORLEY– A NATURE RECOVERY PROJECT
The old church Thorley (also known as the mortuary chapel and St Swithin’s old) is a beautiful mediaeval chapel that sadly has fallen into disrepair. The PCC are working slowly, but surely to restore the chapel and bring it back into use.
The graveyard has also become very over-grown and we are working to develop this as a nature recovery project with the long term goal of turning it into a nature reserve.
Graveyards are a natural haven for wildlife, both flora and fauna. The old stone walls of the graveyard provide important shelter for wildlife as well as a base for ferns and mosses.
Against the walls early flowering prunus provide food for pollinating insects. As is traditional in a churchyard, there is an Irish yew tree and also a very special silver birch tree. These are both described in separate displays. The walls of the chapel and the gravestones are home to an array of lichens.
The graveyard is now affiliated with the charity Caring for God’s Acre and two of us attended one of their workshops last year. The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust have conducted eco-survey of the graveyard, so that we can map the plant and animal species there. This baseline will help us to develop a long-term care management plan, which will also be designed to promote biodiversity.
THE OLD CHURCH – THEN AND NOW
The mortuary chapel is the original St Swithin’s church founded in 1270 by Amecia de Redvers, Countess of Devon, Lady of Thorley manor and widow of Baldwin de Redvers.
There may previously have been a manorial chapel built of timber, cob and thatch, but she rebuilt the church in stone between 1270 and 1280. The former west window seen here was probably added in the late 14th century. The remaining porch and bellcote likely date to this time as well.
The church was used for public worship until c. the 1860s when it had fallen into great disrepair and in 1871 a faculty for its demolition was granted. Much of the stonework was used to build St Swithin new and only the south porch, the bell cot and the walled graveyard remain. The mediaeval font and famous 13th century bells were relocated to the new church, which remains the centre of worship in Thorley today.
The chapel is grade II* listed and within the graveyard there are also two grade II listed monuments and the grade II group of chest tombs of members of the Leigh family.
The footprint of the old church is still visible in this Lidar image.
EXISTING WILDLIFE
We need to carry out a full survey of the flora and fauna in the graveyard, but we already know that it is home to special Yellow Meadow Ants whose mounds can be seen. There are also the special trees – the silver birch and yew tree – mentioned earlier. The chapel is home to a barn owl.
MOVING FORWARD
Today the building and the churchyard are in the care of the Parochial Church Council of St Swithin’s Church and we would like to keep this space open for you and others to enjoy. We are working with a heritage architect to develop plans for the restoration of the chapel and to bring it back into use as it is still consecrated.
The plan for the graveyard is to enhance it as a haven for wildlife, both flora and fauna. We will be developing a care management plan like this one that will focus on the preservation and enhancement of the graveyard as a haven for wildlife.
This is an example of a graveyard management plan from Caring for God’s Acre.
If you are able to make a donation by scanning this QR code below, we would be very grateful. Every penny makes a difference.
THANK YOU
If you would like to join the Friends of Old St Swithin’s, or to find out more, please contact us at:
Email: thorleychurchwarden@gmail.com
Write to: St Swithin’s Church, Main Road, Thorley. PO41 0SS
Or drop a note in the post box outside the church
