St. Mary's Church, South Stoneham
Encyclopedia
St. Mary's Church, South Stoneham is one of the two remaining medieval churches in the city of Southampton
, England. Parts of the building date from the Norman
period and the chancel
arch is 12th century. The church lies in a secluded position off Wessex Lane, near the north-eastern edge of Southampton and is almost hidden in the Southampton University accommodation campus.
from the site of the present day Eastleigh
in the north to just above Northam Bridge in the south, and from Swaythling
to the outskirts of the original town of Southampton on the western side of the river, and included the tithings of Allington, Barton, Pollack, Shamblehurst, and Portswood
. Other than the church and a few adjacent houses, there was no village of "South Stoneham", which is now part of Swaythling, a suburb of Southampton.
In the Domesday Book
, the church at South Stoneham was the property of Richer the clerk, "who held this, with two dependent churches near Southampton, of the bishop of Winchester". Richer ("Richerius") was also the priest and holder of the benefice of St. Mary's Church
at Southampton. The parish was listed as "Stanham – Manebrige Hundred – Hantscire".
By the 16th century, South Stoneham was described as "as an appropriation of St. Mary's Church, Southampton
" and both churches were in the gift and under the special jurisdiction of the Bishop of Winchester
. The living at South Stoneham then became the gift of the rector of St. Mary's, Southampton, who held the right of presentation
until the early 20th century.
As a result of the expansion of Southampton, the Local Government Act 1894
caused much of the parish of South Stoneham to be incorporated into newly formed neighbouring civil parishes, with the remaining parish covering approximately 1300 acre (5.26 km²; 2.03 sq mi) around the church and the village of Swaythling.
Today, the parish is part of the parish of Swaythling, which also incorporates the "Flower Roads", Hampton Park and Mansbridge
estates as well as part of Townhill Park
, with the principal church being St. Alban's Church in Burgess Road, built in 1931. The vicar of the parish (i.e. both churches) is the Revd Canon Gary Philbrick, Area Dean of Southampton.
, which with the chancel arch of chalk is 12th century, with a 15th century Perpendicular east window (Victorian glass). The nave is 13th century and the tower late-15th century.
The north transept
was rebuilt in 1728 to house the early 18th century baroque
monument to Edmund Dummer
, attributed to Nicholas Hawksmoor
, who is also believed to have designed South Stoneham House. The Dummers were Squires of Swaythling and lived at The Grange, a 16th-18th century house now demolished. The nave monument to Sarah, wife of Hans Sloane
, provides another link with South Stoneham House, where the Sloane family lived.
The south transept was built as part of the reconstruction carried out in 1854 by G. Guillaume, which also included the present gallery, replacing one built in 1715.
, bearing the motto: "So Flies Life Away. 1738". The tower houses a peal of three bells
which were cast in 1880 by Gillett & Bland
, although some sources claim that two of the bells originate from 1603 and 1619. Over the west doorway, which is a modern imitation of twelfth-century work is a niche, probably designed for a statue of the Virgin and Child.
The churchyard contains examples of 18th century headstones with cherub, skull, heavenly crown, trumpet urn and hourglass and flower motifs and 19th century oval body stones and chest tombs. The boundary wall to the churchyard on the north side, which adjoins South Stoneham House, is a Grade II listed building. On the register of listed buildings, the wall is described:
and nave
with small north and larger south transept
s. The chancel is 24 ft (7.32 m) by 15 inch with south vestry, and the nave 52 inch by 20 inch. The chancel arch and walls, and part of the nave walls date from the 12th century.
The east window of the chancel dates from the 15th century, with three cinquefoiled
lights and tracery over. In the north wall are three single lights; the middle window is higher in the wall than the others, and round-headed and dates from the 12th century; the lancet
s on either side are 13th century additions. There was originally a similar arrangement on the south side, but the west window of the three has been blocked by the later addition of the vestry. The small pointed doorway opening to the vestry
is probably a 13th century priest's door.
The chancel arch has two pointed orders with a roll on the western angles with detached jamb-shafts to the outer order, and keeled engaged shafts to the inner. The latter have hollow-fluted capitals and spurred bases, while the capitals of the outer order are carved with plain foliage.
The nave has two windows on the north and one on the south, and is fitted with a west gallery
. The north transept has modern two-light windows on east and west, and opens to the nave by a modern arch of 12th century style, but the jambs of the arch are of old stonework, perhaps of 14th century date. The south transept opens to the nave by a tall arch with an imitation of 12th century detail, and is of modern date.
The gallery contains a small manual organ
built in 1857 by J. W. Walker & Sons
; and there is also a "dumb organist" made at the same time, apparently one of only two or three in existence; when placed across the keyboard, hymn tunes could be played by turning a handle.
and dates from about 1180; it has a square bowl having four round-headed arches on each face enclosing wedge-shaped objects in relief. The upper surface of the bowl has foliage in the angles, and the bowl is carried on a central and four outer shafts, the latter being modern, while the base stone is old.
, dated 1660. On the south side of the chancel is the tomb of Edmund Clerke who was clerk to His Majesty's Privy Seal and died in 1632, and his wife Anne: their figures are kneeling under a canopy, with those of four sons and eight daughters on the base of the monument. Opposite this is a tomb dated from about 1540.
The north wall of the north transept is entirely occupied by the large grey and white marble monument of Edmund Dummer
(1663–1724). The church was the final resting place of several members of the Dummer family; in addition to Edmund, there are monuments to his brother, Thomas (1667–1749) and Thomas' son, Thomas Lee Dummer
(1712–1765). Thomas Dummer
(1739–1781), the son of Thomas Lee, and his widow Harriet (died 1835) also have a joint memorial in the church.
The Dummer family crypt
lay beneath the church, but was prone to flooding from the nearby River Itchen
. In the 1960s the church members were concerned that whenever the river flooded "the Dummers could be heard jostling about beneath their feet". It was therefore decided to fill in the crypt.
The church is also home to the University of Southampton
portable campanile
– this consists of 12 bells cast by Richard Bowditch and Matthew Higby in 1999.
Amongst the work required is:
The restoration work is being undertaken by Fareham
-based HGP Architects
with Michael Underwood, a Conservation
Architect
as the Inspecting Architect; he is also a member of the Diocese of Winchester Diocesan Advisory Committee.
Road (at 50°56′26"N 01°22′06"W), was opened in early 1905, with the first burial taking place on 4 February, and was extended in 1927. The South Stoneham Crematorium was located north of the cemetery but demolished during 1973 to make way for the construction of the M27 motorway
. The South Stoneham garden of remembrance is now located at the north end of the cemetery.
The cemetery includes the graves of 66 military casualties which are maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
.
The crematorium was opened in 1932 but by the 1960s was becoming inadequate for the growing number of cremations, and its equipment was approaching obsolescence. As a result, the council built a new crematorium in Bassett Green Road, which was opened in October 1973, with the South Stoneham Crematorium closing at the same time. The buildings were demolished during the construction of the new motorway with the garden of rest being re-located on an adjacent strip of allotment land. The complete layer of topsoil containing the cremated remains in the old garden of rest was removed and transferred to the new site by hand with the topsoil being placed in the new garden in the same relative position.
Amongst those buried or remembered at South Stoneham Cemetery are R. J. Mitchell
, the designer of the Supermarine Spitfire
, whose ashes were interred at South Stoneham in June 1937. George Kemp, who assisted Marconi
in his early radio telegraph experiments, is buried in the cemetery.
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, England. Parts of the building date from the Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
period and the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
arch is 12th century. The church lies in a secluded position off Wessex Lane, near the north-eastern edge of Southampton and is almost hidden in the Southampton University accommodation campus.
South Stoneham parish
The original parish of South Stoneham covered over 8000 acre (32.37 km²; 12.5 sq mi) and extended along the eastern side of the River ItchenRiver Itchen, Hampshire
The River Itchen is a river in Hampshire, England. It flows from mid-Hampshire to join with Southampton Water below the Itchen Bridge in the city of Southampton. The river has a total length of , and is noted as one of England's - if not one of the World's - premier chalk streams for fly fishing,...
from the site of the present day Eastleigh
Eastleigh
Eastleigh is a railway town in Hampshire, England, and the main town in the Eastleigh borough which is part of Southampton Urban Area. The town lies between Southampton and Winchester, and is part of the South Hampshire conurbation...
in the north to just above Northam Bridge in the south, and from Swaythling
Swaythling
Swaythling was once a village but over the years it has gradually become a suburb and electoral ward of Southampton in Hampshire, England. The ward has a population of 13,394....
to the outskirts of the original town of Southampton on the western side of the river, and included the tithings of Allington, Barton, Pollack, Shamblehurst, and Portswood
Portswood
Portswood is a suburb and Electoral Ward of Southampton, England. The suburb lies to the north-east of the city centre and is bounded by Freemantle, Highfield, Swaythling, St. Denys and Bevois Valley....
. Other than the church and a few adjacent houses, there was no village of "South Stoneham", which is now part of Swaythling, a suburb of Southampton.
In the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, the church at South Stoneham was the property of Richer the clerk, "who held this, with two dependent churches near Southampton, of the bishop of Winchester". Richer ("Richerius") was also the priest and holder of the benefice of St. Mary's Church
St. Mary's Church, Southampton
St. Mary's Church, Southampton is the largest church in the city of Southampton, England and can trace its origins to the first Saxon settlements of the 7th century. In 1917, the sound of the church bells inspired the writing of the song, "The Bells of St. Mary's", later sung by Bing Crosby in the...
at Southampton. The parish was listed as "Stanham – Manebrige Hundred – Hantscire".
By the 16th century, South Stoneham was described as "as an appropriation of St. Mary's Church, Southampton
St. Mary's Church, Southampton
St. Mary's Church, Southampton is the largest church in the city of Southampton, England and can trace its origins to the first Saxon settlements of the 7th century. In 1917, the sound of the church bells inspired the writing of the song, "The Bells of St. Mary's", later sung by Bing Crosby in the...
" and both churches were in the gift and under the special jurisdiction of the Bishop of Winchester
Bishop of Winchester
The Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...
. The living at South Stoneham then became the gift of the rector of St. Mary's, Southampton, who held the right of presentation
Advowson
Advowson is the right in English law of a patron to present or appoint a nominee to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a process known as presentation. In effect this means the right to nominate a person to hold a church office in a parish...
until the early 20th century.
As a result of the expansion of Southampton, the Local Government Act 1894
Local Government Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...
caused much of the parish of South Stoneham to be incorporated into newly formed neighbouring civil parishes, with the remaining parish covering approximately 1300 acre (5.26 km²; 2.03 sq mi) around the church and the village of Swaythling.
Today, the parish is part of the parish of Swaythling, which also incorporates the "Flower Roads", Hampton Park and Mansbridge
Mansbridge
Mansbridge is a suburb on the northern perimeter of Southampton, England. The area is named after the Mans Bridge which spans the River Itchen. For a considerable time, this was the southern-most crossing point of the river, before the construction of Woodmill in Swaythling...
estates as well as part of Townhill Park
Townhill Park
Townhill Park is a suburb of Southampton, England, bordering Swaythling, Bitterne Park and West End. It is built on land which once belonged to the house which carries the same name.- History :...
, with the principal church being St. Alban's Church in Burgess Road, built in 1931. The vicar of the parish (i.e. both churches) is the Revd Canon Gary Philbrick, Area Dean of Southampton.
The church
There is evidence that part of the present building dates from the Norman period; the earliest remaining part is the chancelChancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
, which with the chancel arch of chalk is 12th century, with a 15th century Perpendicular east window (Victorian glass). The nave is 13th century and the tower late-15th century.
The north transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
was rebuilt in 1728 to house the early 18th century baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
monument to Edmund Dummer
Edmund Dummer (lawyer)
Edmund Dummer was an English lawyer who was appointed "Clerk of the Great Wardrobe" under Queen Anne in 1706, holding that office until 1721....
, attributed to Nicholas Hawksmoor
Nicholas Hawksmoor
Nicholas Hawksmoor was a British architect born in Nottinghamshire, probably in East Drayton.-Life:Hawksmoor was born in Nottinghamshire in 1661, into a yeoman farming family, almost certainly in East Drayton, Nottinghamshire. On his death he was to leave property at nearby Ragnall, Dunham and a...
, who is also believed to have designed South Stoneham House. The Dummers were Squires of Swaythling and lived at The Grange, a 16th-18th century house now demolished. The nave monument to Sarah, wife of Hans Sloane
Hans Sloane (MP)
Hans Sloane , later called Hans Sloane-Stanley, was a British Member of Parliament.Sloane was born on 14 November 1739 at South Stoneham, Hampshire, and educated at Trinity College, Cambridge and the Inner Temple...
, provides another link with South Stoneham House, where the Sloane family lived.
The south transept was built as part of the reconstruction carried out in 1854 by G. Guillaume, which also included the present gallery, replacing one built in 1715.
The church exterior
The church is built of stone with a tiled roof, with a chancel, nave, two aisles, two small transepts and a west tower. The late-15th century tower has small double uncusped belfry lights, later battlemented parapet and 19th century west doorway. Above the belfry window on the south face of the tower is a sundialSundial
A sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow from its style onto a surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day. The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, often a thin rod or a...
, bearing the motto: "So Flies Life Away. 1738". The tower houses a peal of three bells
Church bell
A church bell is a bell which is rung in a church either to signify the hour or the time for worshippers to go to church, perhaps to attend a wedding, funeral, or other service...
which were cast in 1880 by Gillett & Bland
Gillett & Johnston
Gillett and Johnston is a clock and formerly bell manufacturing business in Croydon, England.-History:William Gillett started a clock making business on Union Road in Croydon, England in 1844. Charles Bland became a partner in 1854 and the company became known as Gillet and Bland. In 1877, Arthur...
, although some sources claim that two of the bells originate from 1603 and 1619. Over the west doorway, which is a modern imitation of twelfth-century work is a niche, probably designed for a statue of the Virgin and Child.
The churchyard contains examples of 18th century headstones with cherub, skull, heavenly crown, trumpet urn and hourglass and flower motifs and 19th century oval body stones and chest tombs. The boundary wall to the churchyard on the north side, which adjoins South Stoneham House, is a Grade II listed building. On the register of listed buildings, the wall is described:
Early C18 red brick wall, about 8 feet (2.4 m) in height laid in English Bond. Near the base is a half-diaper pattern formed of vitrified headers. Red brick plinth and coping. This wall borders on South Stoneham House and was probably built about the same time circa 1708.
The church interior
The church consists of the chancelChancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
and nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
with small north and larger south transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
s. The chancel is 24 ft (7.32 m) by 15 inch with south vestry, and the nave 52 inch by 20 inch. The chancel arch and walls, and part of the nave walls date from the 12th century.
The east window of the chancel dates from the 15th century, with three cinquefoiled
Cinquefoil (disambiguation)
Cinquefoil means "five-leaved", from the French cinque feuilles and ultimately the Latin quinquefolium. It can refer to:* Potentilla , a plant genus in the rose family...
lights and tracery over. In the north wall are three single lights; the middle window is higher in the wall than the others, and round-headed and dates from the 12th century; the lancet
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
s on either side are 13th century additions. There was originally a similar arrangement on the south side, but the west window of the three has been blocked by the later addition of the vestry. The small pointed doorway opening to the vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
is probably a 13th century priest's door.
The chancel arch has two pointed orders with a roll on the western angles with detached jamb-shafts to the outer order, and keeled engaged shafts to the inner. The latter have hollow-fluted capitals and spurred bases, while the capitals of the outer order are carved with plain foliage.
The nave has two windows on the north and one on the south, and is fitted with a west gallery
Minstrels' gallery
A minstrels' gallery is a form of balcony, often inside the great hall of a castle or manor house, and used to allow musicians to perform, sometimes discreetly hidden from the guests below.-Notable minstrel's galleries:...
. The north transept has modern two-light windows on east and west, and opens to the nave by a modern arch of 12th century style, but the jambs of the arch are of old stonework, perhaps of 14th century date. The south transept opens to the nave by a tall arch with an imitation of 12th century detail, and is of modern date.
The gallery contains a small manual organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
built in 1857 by J. W. Walker & Sons
J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd
J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd is a British firm of organ builders established in 1828 by Joseph William Walker in London. Walker organs were popular additions to churches during the Gothic Revival era of church building and restoration in Victorian Britain, and instruments built by Walker are found in...
; and there is also a "dumb organist" made at the same time, apparently one of only two or three in existence; when placed across the keyboard, hymn tunes could be played by turning a handle.
Font
The font at the north-east of the nave, is of Purbeck marblePurbeck Marble
Purbeck Marble is a fossiliferous limestone quarried in the Isle of Purbeck, a peninsula in south-east Dorset, England.It is one of many kinds of Purbeck Limestone, deposited in the late Jurassic or early Cretaceous periods....
and dates from about 1180; it has a square bowl having four round-headed arches on each face enclosing wedge-shaped objects in relief. The upper surface of the bowl has foliage in the angles, and the bowl is carried on a central and four outer shafts, the latter being modern, while the base stone is old.
Monuments
Over the chancel arch are the royal arms of Charles IICharles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
, dated 1660. On the south side of the chancel is the tomb of Edmund Clerke who was clerk to His Majesty's Privy Seal and died in 1632, and his wife Anne: their figures are kneeling under a canopy, with those of four sons and eight daughters on the base of the monument. Opposite this is a tomb dated from about 1540.
The north wall of the north transept is entirely occupied by the large grey and white marble monument of Edmund Dummer
Edmund Dummer (lawyer)
Edmund Dummer was an English lawyer who was appointed "Clerk of the Great Wardrobe" under Queen Anne in 1706, holding that office until 1721....
(1663–1724). The church was the final resting place of several members of the Dummer family; in addition to Edmund, there are monuments to his brother, Thomas (1667–1749) and Thomas' son, Thomas Lee Dummer
Thomas Lee Dummer
Thomas Lee Dummer was an English Member of Parliament for Southampton and Newport .-Family:...
(1712–1765). Thomas Dummer
Thomas Dummer
Thomas Dummer was an English Member of Parliament for Newport , Yarmouth , Downton in Wiltshire , Wendover in Buckinghamshire and Lymington in Hampshire ....
(1739–1781), the son of Thomas Lee, and his widow Harriet (died 1835) also have a joint memorial in the church.
The Dummer family crypt
Crypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
lay beneath the church, but was prone to flooding from the nearby River Itchen
River Itchen, Hampshire
The River Itchen is a river in Hampshire, England. It flows from mid-Hampshire to join with Southampton Water below the Itchen Bridge in the city of Southampton. The river has a total length of , and is noted as one of England's - if not one of the World's - premier chalk streams for fly fishing,...
. In the 1960s the church members were concerned that whenever the river flooded "the Dummers could be heard jostling about beneath their feet". It was therefore decided to fill in the crypt.
Other artefacts
The church has some of the finest silver in Southampton, the earliest a cup of 1630; also a bible of 1572 and a shepherd's crook reputed to be more than 300 years old.The church is also home to the University of Southampton
University of Southampton
The University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
portable campanile
Campanile
Campanile is an Italian word meaning "bell tower" . The term applies to bell towers which are either part of a larger building or free-standing, although in American English, the latter meaning has become prevalent.The most famous campanile is probably the Leaning Tower of Pisa...
– this consists of 12 bells cast by Richard Bowditch and Matthew Higby in 1999.
Restoration
In October 2008, the parish announced plans for a restoration project for the church at a projected cost of £150,000. Launching the project, the Vicar of Swaythling, the Rev. Gary Philbrick,said:It's one of the two oldest churches in the area, a little gem, one of Southampton’s best kept secrets. It has been maintained by succeeding generations and now it is our turn to do a major restoration of the building so it can be preserved for the future. The work is needed to correct mistakes made during a previous restoration effort 100 years ago, when Victorian builders repointed the medieval stonework. The use of cement-based mortar has caused the stonework to crack, causing damp, and must be replaced with a lime-based equivalent. The restoration will begin with the west tower, the roof, the boiler room and the damaged stonework. Once the ancient building has dried out, which could take up to two years, redecoration will begin, costing up to £20,000.
Amongst the work required is:
- Replacing the cement-based mortar in the tower with lime-based mortarLime mortarLime mortar is a type of mortar composed of lime and an aggregate such as sand, mixed with water. It is one of the oldest known types of mortar, dating back to the 4th century BC and widely used in Ancient Rome and Greece, when it largely replaced the clay and gypsum mortars common to Ancient...
, both to stop damp getting in and to preserve the exterior stonework surface of the walls. - Replacing lead flashingsFlashing (weatherproofing)Flashing refers to thin continuous pieces of sheet metal or other impervious material installed to prevent the passage of water into a structure from an angle or joint...
on the roofs to prevent the ingress of moisture, particularly in the Transepts. Replacement tiles are needed, as are repairs to down-pipes and gutters. - To repair the stonework, especially around the Norman West Door and some of the windows, which has deteriorated badly.
- To demolish the ugly mid-20th century boiler house and re-site the boiler in the Clergy Vestry.
- Re-decoration of the interior of the Church.
The restoration work is being undertaken by Fareham
Fareham
The market town of Fareham lies in the south east of Hampshire, England, between the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth, roughly in the centre of the South Hampshire conurbation.It gives its name to the borough comprising the town and the surrounding area...
-based HGP Architects
HGP Architects
HGP Architects is a firm of architects based in Fareham in Hampshire, and London. They have over 60 staff.-Major Projects:*Asda Stores*B&Q Stores*Barratts*BAA*Bognor Regis Seafront*British Gas*Carillion plc*CAA*DERA*Gunwharf Quays*Hampshire County...
with Michael Underwood, a Conservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
Architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
as the Inspecting Architect; he is also a member of the Diocese of Winchester Diocesan Advisory Committee.
South Stoneham Cemetery
The South Stoneham municipal cemetery, situated off MansbridgeMansbridge
Mansbridge is a suburb on the northern perimeter of Southampton, England. The area is named after the Mans Bridge which spans the River Itchen. For a considerable time, this was the southern-most crossing point of the river, before the construction of Woodmill in Swaythling...
Road (at 50°56′26"N 01°22′06"W), was opened in early 1905, with the first burial taking place on 4 February, and was extended in 1927. The South Stoneham Crematorium was located north of the cemetery but demolished during 1973 to make way for the construction of the M27 motorway
M27 motorway
The M27 is a motorway in Hampshire, England. It is long and runs west-east from Cadnam to Portsmouth. It was opened in stages between 1975 and 1983. It is however unfinished as an extension to the east was planned...
. The South Stoneham garden of remembrance is now located at the north end of the cemetery.
The cemetery includes the graves of 66 military casualties which are maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves, and places of commemoration, of Commonwealth of Nations military service members who died in the two World Wars...
.
The crematorium was opened in 1932 but by the 1960s was becoming inadequate for the growing number of cremations, and its equipment was approaching obsolescence. As a result, the council built a new crematorium in Bassett Green Road, which was opened in October 1973, with the South Stoneham Crematorium closing at the same time. The buildings were demolished during the construction of the new motorway with the garden of rest being re-located on an adjacent strip of allotment land. The complete layer of topsoil containing the cremated remains in the old garden of rest was removed and transferred to the new site by hand with the topsoil being placed in the new garden in the same relative position.
Amongst those buried or remembered at South Stoneham Cemetery are R. J. Mitchell
R. J. Mitchell
Reginald Joseph Mitchell CBE, FRAeS, was an aeronautical engineer, best known for his design of the Supermarine Spitfire.-Early years:...
, the designer of the Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
, whose ashes were interred at South Stoneham in June 1937. George Kemp, who assisted Marconi
Guglielmo Marconi
Guglielmo Marconi was an Italian inventor, known as the father of long distance radio transmission and for his development of Marconi's law and a radio telegraph system. Marconi is often credited as the inventor of radio, and indeed he shared the 1909 Nobel Prize in Physics with Karl Ferdinand...
in his early radio telegraph experiments, is buried in the cemetery.