Occasional Magazine Vol.3 No.6 (February 1927)

The Old Church, Hordle, Hants. by W. Ravenscroft. The consecrated, but disused, churchyard seen today [1927] near the entrance to Hordle House is the site of Old Hordle Church, demolished in 1829-30. It had been considered too distant from most houses in the parish and had become very dilapidated. During demolition any suitable material was carted away and re-used in building a new Church at a different location. The author reproduces verbatim from the Churchwardens’ Account Book and items in the Hordle Vicarage Chest the relevant Resolutions on raising funds by levying a Rate and borrowing money. The new Church was completed 1830-31 for just over £1000. It was so poorly built that it was itself pulled down later, the salvaged stones from the Old Church scattered and the present (third) brick and slate building erected and consecrated in 1872. It is known that Hordle’s Old Church had had a Norman origin. Ravenscroft is able to deduce the probable ground plan and give conjectural drawings of exterior and interior in the 6 inserted plates. He bases these on plans drawn up for the 1830 demolition but also contemporary sketches made of the event by Mrs. Whitby. The paper concludes with an explanation of the Benefice of Hordle since its Saxon charter of 803 and a list of Vicars since 1339 [by Rev. E. P. Boys-Smith] together with a valuable list of Monumental Inscriptions in Hordle Old Churchyard [by W. A. Littledale].