BREAMORE VILLAGE lies on the right bank of the Christchurch Avon on the high road from Fordingbridge to Salisbury. On the north-cast side of the parish lies Charford, and in connection with the origin of the Kingdom of the West Saxons the early legends ofWessex tell us that a great battle was fought here (Cerdicsford) in A.D. 519 by the Saxon invaders under Cerdic, which ended in the slaughter of 5,000 Britons and their King, Natan-Leod, who, according to local tradition, is buried in the Long Barrow on Breamore Down, on the Whitsbury side of the Miz-Maze, nearGrim's Ditch.

About half a mile from the village stands the church, picturesquely situated, surrounded by beautiful trees, in Breamore Park.

HISTORICAL:
From the years 980 to 1130 information about Breamore Church is scanty. Who built it or how it was administrated during that period is the subject of further research. With the founding of the Augustine Priory in 1130 there is a very complete history of the successive priors who administered the church. A full account is set out in the Victoria History of Hampshire, Vols 2 and 4.

In 1536 Thomas Cromwell, as the King's agent, appointed a ' Commission of Visitors to the Monasteries to give colour to their confiscation. In the account of 30th May, 1536, not a single scandal is even hinted at in
connection with the Hampshire Houses, the report on the Austin canons of Breamore was "that they are of good conversion.'' Not withstanding the nature of these reports every one of the smaller houses was suppressed before the close of the year.

Prior Finch was, on 21st June, 1536, assigned a pension of £18 per annum, and in March, 1538, he was made Suffragan bishop ofTaunton. The site of the Priory was granted to Henry Marquis of Exeter and Gertrude his wife, together with all its possessions, amongst which is enumerated the Manor of Breamorc and the rectories and chapels of Breamore. the site of the Priory can still he seen adjoining the River Avon and North of
Breamorc Mill. Excavations on the site in 1898 revealed only trace of the cloisters and some stone coffins, three of which were removed and placed beside the old Yew tree in Breamore Churchyard to preserve them from damage. Some beautiful old tiles found during the excavations can be seen in Salisbury Museum.

Breamore church is a large and handsome structure and is of special interest, being a valuable and practically complete example of a Saxon building dating from late in the Xth or early in the XIth century. It is exceptionally long (96ft 6in) and consists of a chancel and aisle-less nave, separated by a square central tower, from which there opened originally a lateral porticus or chapel or transept on each side, the one on the north having now disappeared, and there are indications that a western adjunct also existed opening into and of the same width as the nave.

The walls are composed of whole flints with large quoins of irregular long and short work and pilaster strips of green sandstone and ironstone, but the appearance it now presents is very different to its original aspect, for the whole church both within and without was covered in pro-conquest times with plaster, the only portions left uncovered being the quoins and pilaster strips, which projecting from the face of the wall are cut back to receive it, but it is continued unbroken over the splays of the windows. Alterations have been few, but the chancel was re-built in the XIVth century, the old walls in their lower part being retained, and a south porch has been added.

Breamore is not, strictly speaking, a cruciform church, but its most interesting architectural feature is that it presents a step forward in the evolution of the cruciform or cross plan (which eventually became such a prominent feature in mediaeval church construction in England), with the tower between the nave and chancel resting on piers and arches, the latter opening to transepts of the same width as the tower, the whole connected together in one structure. In some of the earlier churches there had been side chapels (porticus), as for instance as St Pancras, Canterbury, where they projected from the side of the nave, half-way up its length. In latter churches, such as Britford, near Salisbury, and Deerhurst, Gloucestershire, the chapels projected on each side near the east end of the nave.

At Worth, in Sussex, the plan is unmistakable cruciform, with partially developed transepts projecting from the eastern part of the nave, but there is no original tower. At Breamore a distinct advance is made-the quoins of the tower, which is one of the same width as the nave are carried to the ground, while internally a square space is formed between the nave and the chancel, the side walls of which are pierced by narrow archways which lead into a lateral chapel. These lateral adjuncts are not real transepts, they are narrower than the tower and their roof-line is lower than the nave, and still more important, they do not act as abutments to the central tower, which was essential in the fully developed cruciform plan, but they represent a step forward towards its planning and construction.

THE CHANCEL: was rebuilt in the XlVth century, but probably the lower parts of the wall belong to the original Saxon Church. The east window, with its reticulated or net-like tracery, dates from about 1340. On each side of it is an IMAGE BRACKET of XVth century date, ornamented with angel heads and foliage. The one on the north no doubt supported an image of the Virgin Mary, and the one on the south perhaps St Michael, the dedication of the church being to St Mary, but formerly to St Mary and St Michael.

The north wall has no windows, but externally, towards the west end, there arc traces-part of the sill and one jamb-of one of those curious openings to which the name "LOW SIDE WINDOW" has been given. Popularly, but mistakenly, they are called "Leper Windows", and although many theories have been advanced none of them can claim to explain the purpose for which all of them were originally constructed. The theories which receive the greatest support from ecclesiologists at the present time are: (1) The Sanctus Bell Theory, which suggests that "low side windows" were for the purpose of ringing a hand-bell through, at appropriate time during Mass, so that people who were unable to be present at the service might take notice and bend their knees, and (2) The Confessional Theory, which suggests that these openings were for hearing confessions through, the penitent being outside and the priest inside the church.

In the south wall a XVth century PICINA in a niche, which originally was closed by a door, one hinge pin of which still remains, and above are two recesses for cruets. To the west of this are a window and a priest's door dating from about 1340, and a XVth century window. Externally, the original weather table shows that the early chancel roof was of about the same height as that of the nave and the original walls much higher than they are now.

THE CHANCEL ARCH and the arch in the west wall of the tower were inserted early in the XVth century in the place of the original Saxon arches. They are now as wide as the chancel and are stopped on bands of foliage and supported on capitals, short wall-shafts, and corbels with beautiful foliage, and one with a human head. The foliage is peculiar-thistle leaves, oak leaves and acorns, and vine leaves and grapes are all represented, and the sculpture evidently belongs to the same school as the work at Christchurch Priory.

A ROOD-LOFT formerly stood across the western arch, and its upper door-way with its old wooden frame, can still be seen on the north side. Rood-lofts were ordered to be removed in Edward VI reign(1548), and in the place formerly occupied by the Rood the Royal Arms was set up, hut the ROYAL ARMS now present here are later and date from the XVIlIth century, and those used by George I, II and III. The west wall of the NAVE has been re-built, but in the lower part of the jambs of the original door-way which opened into the destroyed western chamber can still be seen, and also, under the diagonal buttresses, the start of the walls of the chamber. On the right-hand side of the south door, inside the church, is a niche for the HOLY WATER STOUP. The FONT is ancient, but of uncertain date.

THE CENTRAL TOWER originally had a floor of 15 feet from the ground from which the bells were rung; this has disappeared and the bells arc now rung from the ground floor. The entrance to this upper roof was from the south transept by a narrow square-headed doorway and a ladder or a wooden stairway. The upper part of the tower is a curved timber structure as seen from the inside, and externally it may well represent a Saxon original. The north transept has disappeared, but the weathering on its roof can be seen on the north wall externally, and the lower part of the blocked jambs of the archway leading to it.

THE SOUTH TRANSEPT or chapel remains, and the archway leading to it is of more than ordinary interest. The wall in which it is placed is three feet thick, and the arch, semi-circular in shape, is of one square order, the voussoirs being "through" stones. The jambs support massive square abaci, with a large cable moulding on the angles, a somewhat rare ornament in the Anglo-Saxon period.

An inscription in Anglo-Saxon is incised on the north face of the arch, which reads as follows:

"HER SWUTELATH SEO GECWYDRAEDNES THE."
This may be translated-

"Here is made p'ain (is manifested) the covenant (the word) to thee." which would seem to be a quotation from Titus i, 3: "But God hath in due time manifested to us His Word."

The sentence may have been completed elsewhere, possibly upon the three corresponding arches now destroyed, indeed there is one other stone preserved in the wall which bear the letters "DES." From the form of the letters, it seems certain that the inscription must date from the latter part of the reign of Ethelred II, 979-1016.

SAXON WINDOWS. Seven of these remain, and they are characteristic of the late Saxon period, being "double-splayed", with the actual aperture for light at about the middle of the thickness of the wall and having a splay both outwards and inwards. They are round-headed, and their jambs, which slope outwards, are comprised of Hint rubble covered with plaster. There arc three on the first floor of the tower, but they have
all been altered and have now square-headed stone frames externally. The south-east window has been destroyed. In the south transept is one of these windows, complete and unaltered. It is on the east, above a XIIth century door-way, and on the south is another, but a pointed XIIth century lancet has been inserted into its outer splay. On the north side of the nave, placed high in the wall, are two more original windows, and there is another blocked up, and now partly hidden by the porch in the south wall.

The other windows of the church date from the XIVth, XVth and XVIth centuries. The large west window is modern, and over it is set a shield, on which is carved the letters W.D. and the date 1603, no doubt the initials of Sir William Dodington, the then Lord of the Manor. On the west side of the south transept is a XVth century window, carved on a shield on the west dripstone is a besant between two harts' heads cabossed in chief quartering a chevron between roundels, which is perhaps a Popham coat quartered with Zouche. In the transept there is a print from Hart MSS., fo. 420576, of Sir John Popham Knight, who lived at Charford.
He belonged to the knightly family of Popham, of Popham, near Micheldever, and was Treasurer of the Household of King Henry VI, and died in 1463.

THE PORCH: which covers the south doorway is of very great interest. It is of two dates the lower portion being erected in the middle of The Xllth century, to which time the south door-way belongs and the upper part was added in the XVth century. The half-timbered gable is modem. The upper chamber, the floor of which has been removed, was no doubt constructed like the similar Chamber at the west end of Headbourne Worthy Church, to do honour to, and to preserve the rood. It is decorated with wall paintings, and the piscina belonging to its altar still remains, as also the stone corbels inside the porch which would have carried the main
beams supporting the floor.

THE SAXON ROOD, with figures of Our Lady and St John. has been dreadfully mutilated by some miscreant, but enough remains to show what a striking sculpture it must have been in its original state. It may be compared with similar sculptural pieces at Headbourne Worthy and Romscy, and in all these there is, above the head of the Crucified Saviour, the Manus Dei (the Hand of God) projecting downwards from the cloud. The frescoes, in brown, blue and black colours, are noteworthy, and form a background to the three figures. A rolling landscape is depicted with a church and other buildings, and trees and woods the sacred monogram
I.H.S. and the letters A.B.M., "Avc heata Maria" ("Hail blessed Mary"), arc faintly visible. On the western side the hanging figure of Judas can be seen. Below the paintings are continued on the east and west walls, where
the rood is a XIIth century circular medallion containing iin AGNLJS DEI fLamh of God), carved in low relief.

THE BENCHES: in the porch were made by a local carpenter from the original steps and rails leading to the old belfry in the towers, and the date 1617 on one of them applies to the steps and not lo the bench.

MASS CLOCKS: A mass clock is an early kind of sundial which we often Find incised in the walls of ancient churches: they are ralways incomplete, the pointer or gnomon having been lost. Before clocks were invented they no doubt told the time for the time of the church services, especially the time of Mass. There are three Mass clocks here: one a very small dial, at the west angle of the porch, and two others on quoins at the south-cast angle of the transept.

THE BELLS: There are four bells, and each bears an inscription and date and the initials of the founder:

Treble: "Seek God." J.W., 1604.
Second: "FearGod." J.W., 1613.
Third: "Give God the Glory." J.W., 1591.
Tenor: "0 sing praise unto God." J.D., 1629.

They were cast in Salisbury by John Wallis, a well-known bell-founder of that city, and by John Danton, who succeeded him. They were recast in 1922 by Messrs. Taylor and Sons, of Loughborough, much of the original
metal being used.

THE ROOFS: The nave roof contains some old material re-used, but the chancel roof is modern.