Holyrood Church, Southampton
Visited on Friday, 22nd July 2022.
Holyrood church is a ruin of a fourteenth century church in Southampton and is known as the church of the sailors. Much of the church was bombed out during the Second World War in 1940.
The anchor that sits outside is part of that commemoration to the sailors. The modern tripoint seats in the small square to the front of the church and to the side of the anchor name the church, have two lines from a Lord Tennyson poem, and tell some of the history of the church.
Either side of the remaining doorway / entrance to the nave of the church has plaques to the twenty-two men who died trying to save the church from its fate when it was bombed.
The southwest tower is the most complete part of the church left. It houses a fountain and is fenced and netted off to prevent both human and birds from getting in and causing any further damage.
The open area that would have been the nave and aisles is open to the elements. With none of the roof there now. The north walls contain more monuments to various sailors.
Another anchor sits in the open area.
The chancel is fenced off too but has had a glass roof added to prevent further damage from the elements to that area.
There is a single bench inside the remaining walls of the church. A place for quiet contemplation and silent commemoration. Which is surrounded by rubbish left by morons.
History
It was one of the five original churches in the walled town, and the current building was built in 1320. There was a church in Saxon times (hence the name Holyrood and not Holy Cross), but it was pulled down and rebuilt on the other side of the High Street. It was directly in the centre of the town and acted as the parish church for the southeast of the town.
In 1801 the church was described as being handsome, but that the organ obstructed the view of the chancel. By 1841 the organ had been moved to the west of the church.
The church was restored in 1848–49 and became more popular afterwards, and over the next ninety years it became known as the ‘Church of the Sailors’.
The fountain in the tower was erected in 1912–13 and is a memorial to those who died in the sinking of the RMS Titanic.
It was bombed on the night of 30 November 1940.
The ruins were restored, and it was dedicated as a memorial to the Merchant Navy in 1957 and is now a Grade II* listed building.
For other posts on travels this year have a look at my list.
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