| St. Blasius Church, Shanklin | |
|---|---|
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| 50°37′18″N01°11′02″W / 50.62167°N 1.18389°W Coordinates: 50°37′18″N01°11′02″W / 50.62167°N 1.18389°W | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| Website | st-blasius-church.org.uk |
| History | |
| Dedication | St. Blasius |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Shanklin |
| Diocese | Portsmouth |
| Province | Canterbury |
St. Blasius Church, Shanklin is a parish church in the Church of England located in Shanklin, Isle of Wight.
A parish church in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, often allowing its premises to be used for non-religious community events. The church building reflects this status, and there is considerable variety in the size and style of parish churches. Many villages in Europe have churches that date back to the Middle Ages, but all periods of architecture are represented.
The Church of England is the established church of England. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior cleric, although the monarch is the supreme governor. The Church of England is also the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain by the third century, and to the 6th-century Gregorian mission to Kent led by Augustine of Canterbury.
Shanklin is a popular seaside resort and civil parish on the Isle of Wight, England, located on Sandown Bay. Shanklin is the southernmost of three settlements which occupy the bay, and is close to Lake and Sandown. The sandy beach, its Old Village and a wooded ravine, Shanklin Chine, are its main attractions. The esplanade along the beach is occupied by hotels and restaurants for the most part, and is one of the most tourist-oriented parts of the town. The other is the Old Village, at the top of Shanklin Chine. Together with Lake and Sandown to the north, Shanklin forms a built up area of 21,374 inhabitants (2011).
The church is medieval but was largely rebuilt in 1859. [1] It is also known as Shanklin Old Church. The bell ropes hang down into the nave, so the ringers can be seen by the congregation.
It stands at the southern end of the parish at the angle made by the roads to Wroxall and Ventnor. Originally it must have been of the usual aisleless type of manorial chapel—an oblong structure with nave and chancel in one line; and so it remained till 1852, when transepts were added, the church lengthened westward and a bell turret formed at the intersection of the roofs. A lych-gate with clock and bell was put up as a memorial to Mr. White-Popham. There is a good Renaissance oak chest, apparently brought from elsewhere. There are memorial tablets to members of the Hill and Popham families. The registers date from 1717. [2]
