Upper Itchen Benefice

The Church in the Wood

The church is situated in a wood on Bramdean common. It is maintained by the three trustees of the charity of Louisa Francis Katherine Bishop for Divine service. Mrs Bishop was the widow of the Rev Bishop who caused the church to be built here in 1883.

When she died in 1893 she gave instructions to her trustees by a codicil to her will, in which she left £2000. They were to pay the vicar of Bramdean to take services, to maintain the church, and to ring the bell. The latter they do, beginning 15 minutes before each service, to guide the congregation through the wood.

Evensong is celebrated on the second and fourth Sundays of each month from May to September at 3pm, with a carol service on the second Sunday in December. Baptisms and wedding blessings, sometimes of gypsies, take place quite frequently.

The church has no parish and no funds apart from those donated by the congregation or well-wishers. Recently attendance has averaged 17 at evensong with greater numbers coming to open air services.

Access is on foot by mud track. Park your car on Bramdean common, and listen for the bell!

Lighting by candles,

Music by harmonium.

Dogs, horses and wellington boots welcome.

The joyous Wedding Blessing of Chloe and Norton WHYTE, September 2022

Bramdean Woods

You must keep your dog on a lead no more than 2 metres long on open access land between the 1st of March and the 31st of July to protect ground-nesting birds, and at all times around livestock. Rights of way and accessing land: Use your right to roam – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Thank you for following the Countryside Code.

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;

let the sea resound, and all that fills it.

Let the fields exult, and all that is in them.

Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the LORD,

for He is coming – He is coming to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness.

Psalm 96.11-13

Winter 2020