| St Peter and St Paul's Church, Mottistone | |
|---|---|
 | |
 St Peter and St Paul's Church, Mottistone | |
| 50°39′06″N01°25′38″W / 50.65167°N 1.42722°W | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| Website | |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Peter and St Paul |
| Administration | |
| Province | Canterbury |
| Diocese | Portsmouth |
| Parish | Mottistone |
St Peter and St Paul's Church is a parish church in the Church of England in the village of Mottistone, Isle of Wight. It is a Grade I listed building. [1]
The church is medieval, dating from the 12th century, [2] by Brian de Insula, lord of Mottistone Manor. [3] [4] Much of the current building is from the 15th. [5] The Cheke chapel was added in the 16th century, [6] by the Cheke family who became lords of the manor in 1300. [3] The chancel was reroofed in 1862, with timber from the Bermudan barque Cedrene which was wrecked nearby. [7] The Cedrene was just 16 days old when it wrecked on the shores of the Back of the Wight. [8]
"Where the fragrance of Bermuda Cedar still lingers after 100 years... a token of the beauty that was Cedrene."
A Victorian restoration was carried out in 1863, [6] which included the reconstruction of window tracery, nave arches and piers, roofs and walls. [1]
In 2014 a publicly funded project to improve access to the church for disabled users was carried out. [9]
Theatre and opera director Sophie Hunter, great-great granddaughter of General J. E. B. Seely, 1st Baron Mottistone, was married to actor Benedict Cumberbatch in the church on 14 February 2015. [10]
The parish is part of the West Wight benefice within the Anglican Diocese of Portsmouth. [11]
The stone building has a tile roof and shingle spire. It consists of a nave with aisles, chancel, north chapel and south porch. The west tower has a crenellated parapet and spire. [1]
The interior includes a font which may date back to the 12th century, however it was refashioned in the late 19th or early 20th century. [12] In 1948 John Seely, 2nd Baron Mottistone commissioned the parclose screen in the Cheke chapel in memory of his father General J. E. B. Seely, 1st Baron Mottistone. [9]
