Morestead Church

Morestead Church is part of the South Downs Gateway Benefice http://www.sdgateway.org.uk

Morestead was one of the eight sub manors of Chilcomb mentioned in the Domesday Book. At Domesday, Chilcomb had nine churches and Morestead Church was probably one of them. This ancient church is high on the bank at Morestead surrounded by yew trees and a flint wall. The original registers date back to 1549 and are now kept at the Hampshire Record Office. The bell turret holds the single bell dating back to 1620.

It is a Listed building and the following is an extract from the entry in English Heritage:

Parish Church C12, extensively restored 1873 and school/cottage added to W1833.
Flint with stone dressings, school has brick dressings, old plain tile roof.
Norman plan of chancel, nave and S porch, with W bell turret and single storey
2 bay building attached to W end. Nave C12 but chancel rebuilt C19. Chancel has large rounded headed E window, small rounded headed side windows. Nave has similar but larger windows, buttresses, at E, and C19 gabled porch with round headed archway with chevrons and nook shafts. The N and S doorways C12 plain roundheaded, restored. Plain brick with stone roof bell turret. Cottage has S front of central door in gabled brick porch with round arch and each side round headed window. Inside chancel E window has chevrons and label, C19 roof.
Chancel arch has chevrons and springs from corbels. Nave has old rear arches to doors. N door now window with brick in bottom half. Rear arch of C13 W window. C18 arched brace roof was plastered and has 2 tie beams remaining. Late C12 Purbeck octagonal font with blank arcades on sides, and central shaft with
smaller surrounding shafts. No known dedication.

Listing NGR: SP5096925485