All Saints Little Sombourne

All Saints in Little Somborne dates back to Saxon times and was recorded in the Domesday Book. I probably would not have gone to the church had it not been for finding out the Tommy Sopwith was buried  here. It was a spur of the moment thing when I walked to the Hamlet after seeing where it was on the map, after I wished I had taken the car. It was one of the quickest look rounds I have done yet.

The photos were taken back in 2012 and done without a tripod so forgive quality as some are a little out of focus.

 The south side of the church

This is the north side which is very similar to the south

The chancel end, you can make out the old chancel arch on the wall

 Inside is very simple and remember back in Saxon times there would have been no pews

 The Altar as you see is very simple and behind you can see the blocked off chancel

Above a shaky shot of the font and one of the graves in the church

These are a couple of the older features of the church apart from the flowers

View down the church from the Altar and one of the roof beams

Outside the churchyard is small with few headstones

Though I did find a more recent one

And Tommy Sopwith who's grave I came to see

Looking across some of the headstones by the church from the south west end

 The church is now looked after by the  Church Conservation Trust so if you happen to be passing stop off and spend a few moments looking round

St Peter and St Paul Kings Somborne

St Peter and St Paul dates back to the 13th Century though there was a church here on the site of one of the ones mentioned in the Domesday Book. I have written a shorter blog in the past on one of the more famous residents Tommy Sopwith but not about the churches I visited in the quest. This is the first. The photos were all taken by hand so could be a little out of focus on some

We will go straight inside today and show the internal views. We start looking down the Nave

Looking into the Chancel

Here we look down on the Chancel

The Altar & Chancel Window, I cheated & used flash

This is the Chancel Window

There is a tomb effigy though I did not check who it was

One of the memorials in the church and the stone font

The Organ neatly stashed away

Like most churches you will find the roll of honour listing the men lost from the village

The pulpit is quite impressive with the carving round the outside

Think this is called the Lady Chapel

The Sopwith Window

Another of the memorials in the church along with a Stained glass window

I thought this was great & took a while to work out but it commemorates

The restoration of the bells and lists the people concerned with the work and is on one of the pillars in the church

Last look at the church then outside

 The entrance porch to St Peter & St Paul

Where you can see some very nice headstops

The west end of the church with the Sopwith Window

The Churchyard does have a lot of headstones worth a look at

Many old & newish ones can be seen

 The odd one like this leaning against the church

And some impressive family chest tombs

Here we look from the North side of the church

Have a peaceful Sunday

Tommy Sopwith

As  a school boy I knew the name reading story's about the First World  War and the Sopwith Camel but never knew he lived near Kings Somborne. I had been taking photos of the church and noticed this huge stained glass window. The inscription to the left said "Twice his foresite saved this nation in time of danger" the name I recognized and I knew of the plane in the first war but what was the second time he saved the nation. It was not until I looked into it I found he Started the Hawker company with Harry Hawker which made the Hawker Hurricane that was a  part of the Battle of Britain it was one  of the planes which save the country.

The memorial window that piqued my interest

                          

   


The wording got me thinking as I knew the name but did not connect who to start with.                                                                                              

After reading this information on the window I found out where Tommy Sopwith was buried.







 

After a three mile walk to Little Somborne I found his grave at the east end of the old church there along side that of his wife.

Tommy Sopwith lived to 101 and on his 100th birthday the RAF did a military flypast over his home. He is buried in All Saints Churchyard beside his wife.
Tommy_Sopwith