All Saints Church, Milford-on-Sea

THE SOUTH PORCH AND ARCADE
On entering the Church by the south porch, you are facing the two arches of the south arcade which are of late Norman work, 1150-1170; the capitals of the pillars still show the detail of the beautiful carving done 800 years ago, the right-hand pillar being of greater interest in that it shows a strong association with the work done in Northern Italy by the Coniacine masters who worked in England in the ]2th Century. Look to the left and see two ancient stone coffin lids of about 1300 (one a child's) found buried in the churchyard. The seating in the Church and the three altar rail steps are furnished with tapestry kneelers, worked by ladies of the parish.

THE NAVE
Now move to the carved wooden screen to the Tower, look eastwards up the 130 feet length of the Church towards the altar and notice the graceful sweep of the lovely arches - there are no less than 20 of them - and the light and shade that is so much part of their beauty. Behind you in the west wall of the bell-tower are two very colourful lancet stained-glass windows, the subject of Matthew xxv 35-36; on the wall to the right of the screen (at head height) is a small carved stone panel of about 1350, much mutilated, thought to be part of the reredos of the
earlier Church. The subject is the "Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary," which throws some light on the belief that the Church was originally dedicated to Saint Mary and All Saints"; above it is an ancient stone cross, formerly on the east gable of the roof.

THE NORTH AISLE AND CHAPEL
Proceed over to the north aisle through the arcade of octagonal columns with pointed arches; these are of Early English work dating from the end of the 13th Century to the beginning of the 14th, replacing the original Norman arches which were damaged when the First spire blew down. On the west wall is another large painting which depicts "The Baptism of Cynegils." Cynegils was the first king of the West Saxons to be converted to Christianity, A.D. 635. On the north wall is the list of incumbents to the parish which starts at 1339; before this time monks from Christchurch Priory - to which All Saints, Milford, was linked - would have
taken services before the First Vicar was installed. Further along on the north side is one of the two Norman doors, giving entry into the North Transept. Inside the door will be found a fine oak Elizabethan table and a chest. The stained-glass window in the North Chapel is modern, the subject being "Christ with Martha and Mary".

Two paintings which are on the wall in the North Aisle The left hand one depicts "The Baptism of Cynegils"

THE TRANSEPT
Come now to the Nave/Transept crossing under the central colourful boss that once held a hanging brass chandelier and notice the four dwarf Purbeck shafts of hard Dorset stone; these carry no less than 12 of the 20 arches which were all part of the widening of the nave, arching and transepts and the erection of the chancel about the beginning of the 13th Century.

THE CHANCEL
Look up for a while to the ceiling, which with the adjoining bay to the nave, crossing and transepts, is of Jacobean origin; see some of the 54 carved oak Bosses, which were taken down and repainted in 1973. A detailed plan and description of our Bosses is displayed in the Church. There are thousands of Bosses in our older Churches but less than 10 are dated; All Saints has two, dated 1639 and 1640. Because of the general illiteracy of the population right
up to the 18th Century, the general use of bosses, murals, carvings and imagery in churches was a means of teaching, and Christian principles, often bordering on old pagan beliefs, were interwoven into the designs. So are many of ours. Milford claims a small link with King Charles I, for, on the north side of the chancel above the choir stalls, there is a two-lancet stained-glass window, the left-hand window depicts the king, who was held prisoner in Hurst
Castle in the parish of Milford, immediately prior to his trial and execution in London in 1649. So here we see the haloed King Charles the Martyr with his temporal crown at his feet.

The organ		One of the bosses in the ceiling
Two of the carved oak bosses
Memorial stone to George Dore		The modern styled font
The pulpit		The Bell ropes with the high narrow spiral staircase

THE MEMORIAL CHAPEL
Now walk to the south, the Memorial Chapel, and note the unusual window piscina of the Early Decorated period (14th Century). The subject of the modern window over the altar is "The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary." Further along is the south Norman door, late 12th Century, which shows traces of masons' graffiti on the eastern jamb. And so return to the porch door. Over it hangs a copy of a Perugino painting.

THE TOWER
Finally, a few minutes spent in the churchyard should be of interest. On leaving the porch, turn right to the west end. The Tower is Early English (12th Century) and houses a ring of 8 bells. It is topped by a corbel table surrounded by corbel brackets, most of which are carved heads, suggestive that originally there was a Broach Spire of greater height than the present one. According to tradition, this first spire was blown down by gales, so damaging the northern arcade of Norman arches now seen to have been replaced by the the later Early English ones. The present spire, built in 1827, tends to give one the impression it is in the process of sinking down into the confines of the Tower. The chambers beneath the two lean-to roofs were built at the same time as the Tower and are unique for they provided living and sleeping accommodation for the monks from Christchurch Priory, who would have served the Church. These were converted, in 1984, into the Vicar's Vestry and Sacristy. Several of the lower courses in the original stone tiles are still to be seen on the north slope. The small window in the south lean-to was at one time a door; tradition has it that improper use was made of this door for bringing in beer for the bell-ringers and it was replaced by the window in the early 19th Century. Continue round the north side of Church and note two flat-topped memorials lying north and south, not the usual east and west; these are reputed to be of two suicides, and instead of the interment inscription reading ". . . who departed this life on the .. ." one sees the
ominous words "after witnessing the departure of all most dear to him, of a wife and many daughters, HE DEPARTED HIMSELF on the ... ." Complete the circuit of the Church and to the left of the south Norman door on the corner of masonry is evidence of a Scratch Dial. Finally you return to the porch; look up to the 16th Century Perpendicular window on the right and see the two grotesque stone bosses that are terminals to the square-topped drip-stone, a man playing a bagpipe and on the other side his friend wearing ear-pads who cannot stand the
noise!