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“Helping to preserve an irreplaceable piece of England's heritage”
Although we don't know exactly when it was built, the church certainly pre-dates 1284, because in that year it appeared in a list of parishes in the diocese of Winchester. It was originally the only church between Bishop's Waltham, Botley, Bishopstoke and Upham. Although little is known of its early history, the church has some outstanding features including the timber framed tower and spire, the Norman font of Purbeck marble, the east window stone mullions dating from about 1250, medieval wall paintings and a fine old Jacobean pulpit and sounding board. The tower timbers are ancient and the carpenters' marks, used to ensure that the timbers were assembled correctly in their final positions, can still be seen. Holy Cross, a Grade II* listed building, is part of our national Heritage, just like Winchester Cathedral, only smaller. It belongs to all of us, whatever our beliefs or religion. Past generations built it, worshipped in it and cherished it so that they could hand it down over the ages to us. We believe it is our duty to look after it properly so that we in turn can pass it on in good condition to future generations. |
What are our aims ? We aim to maintain, repair, restore, preserve, improve, beautify and reconstruct the building of the church (and everything in it) and the churchyard for the benefit of the public. The Friends are not allowed to pay for routine maintenance and expenditure, such as cutting the grass or heating and lighting: these are rightly the responsibility of the worshipping congregation. |
The Friends have available for purchase Christmas Cards with a lovely painted image of Holy Cross Church. Available from Durley Post Office and |
The Friends of Holy Cross Church,Durley is a non-religious association of ordinary people who share a belief that we have a duty to our descendants to hand on our lovely parish church in good condition just as generations have done in the past. The association is a Registered Charity No. 1047813.