The first written record of Durley occurs about the year 901 when Edward the Elder, son of King Alfred, included certain lands at Durley in his endowment of his new Minster at Winchester,

We do not know exactly when the Church was built.' Mention is made in old Registers of Parishes in the Winchester Diocese of the Church at Upham in the year 1270. In the year 1284 the list includes with Upham Church a Chapel at Durley.

The south door is Norman 'and so is the the font. The chancel contains 13th century work. It would seem likely that the church was built between 1270 and 1284. The porch. was added later.

The Church is Cruciform in plan and its dimensions are Length 75 feet, Chancel 15 feet wide, transepts 45 feet wide. The main part of the building is said to belong to the period 1350 - l400 A.D. but the mullions of the East window are said to be, 100 years older, i.e. 1250 AD,

Interior of the Church (Photo courtesy of Beverley Wadhams

The open timbered roof is in Spanish Chestnut. Prior to 1879 it was entirely hidden by plaster superimposed, possibly at the Reformation.

The two transepts, locally called wings, that form the arms of the Cross are held to have been Chantry chapels ; and this is in part borne out by the fact that beneath the South transept lies the body of William Oysell who made his will in l4l0, therein directing -that he should be buried in the 'Chapel of the Holy Cross, Durley It is assumed that the arch in the South transept marks the tomb. It is difficult to obtain any further information as to this tomb, because no memoranda have been left as to the exact condition of the Church before the 'restoration' which took place in l879.

The pulpit is a good example of carved Jacobean work, and has a canopy. On the pulpit may be seen the initials A.W., E.D., T.C., and the date 1650. A.W. was the Curate Arthur Warwick and the pulpit was erected during his ministry. He wrote a small book called 'Spare Minutes'. Another notable Curate was Gilbert White, later author of the Natural History of Selbourne. He was Curate of Durley from 1754 - 1756.

There are the remains of two frescoed paintings, one on the north wall of the sanctuary, and the other on the east wall of the north transept; both inside the window splays.

The first represents an Evangelist; the latter a ship with a sailor going aloft to the yard arm, which archaeologists, from certain features in the design and rigging, said to belong to' the reign of Edward III.

The Norman Font (Photo courtesy of Beverley Wadhams

The font of Purbeck marble, is of Norman origin, but has been over restored. But the existence of a coyer can be traced in certain marks where the hinges were fixed on' one side, and the closing was effected on the opposite side.

Several reminders of the Crusades still remain visible in the shape of crosses roughly carved in the stonework of the southern door outside and also on that of a door into the sanctuary on the east side now closed up.
There was a Rood beam, but nothing now remains of it.

Previous to l879 the organ stood just inside the west door on a raised platform and there was a gallery which ran round that end of the building .and terminated at a point somewhere short of the south door. In this gallery choir and players were required to lead the worship in olden days..

In 1931 the space under the tower was rearranged as a choir vestry and a children's chapel was formed in the north transept.

Externally the wooden tower , or belfry, though of modest height seems to fit in admirably with the rest of the building. The old beams supporting the belfry and also (formerly) the gallery, are worth noting both from their age and from the design adopted for the support of the superstructure. There are three bells, two of them dated 1750.

The roof showing the upper storey window		The side view of the church

There are two stone coffins outside the south wall of the Church, one probably of Norman date, the other of somewhat earlier date, and the lychgate was erected to celebrate the Jubilee of Queen Victoria in l887.

The lychgate

The church plate is dated 1722. and the registers date back to 1560.

Oliver Cromwell' s sister, Bridget, married the celebrated General Ire ton, and they supposedly resided for some time in Durley. Quite naturally Bridget would have been visited by her famous brother. Legend adds that Oliver Cromwell on a visit tethered his horse to the Yew tree outside the south porch of the Church. True story or not, that Yew tree is over 700 years old