St. Olave's Church, Gatcombe is a parish church

Parish church

A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....

 in the Church of England

Church of England

The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...

 located in Gatcombe

Gatcombe

Gatcombe is a village and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. It is located four kilometres from Newport in the centre of the island. St. Olave's Church, Gatcombe was dedicated in 1292, serving as chapel to Gatcombe House...

, Isle of Wight

Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...

.

History

Building began on the site in the 13th century and the church was dedicated in 1292. It originally served the Estur family as a chapel to Gatcombe House

Gatcombe House

Gatcombe House is a manor house on the Isle of Wight, England. The original building was constructed by the Stur family as noted in the Domesday Book. St. Olave's Church, built next to the manor to serve as its chapel, was dedicated in 1292. It also belonged at one time to the Lisles of...

. The manor later passed into the hands of the Worsley family who provided the church with both financial support and a number of Rectors.

The tower contains three bells which are hung dead.

Stained glass

The church is noted for its stained glass

Stained glass

The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...

 by William Morris

William Morris

William Morris 24 March 18343 October 1896 was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement...

 dating from 1865 and 1866.

Organ

The organ is by Henry Speechley and dates from 1919. It was overhauled in 2000 by Griffiths & Cooper and incorporated pipework from an organ in Upper Chine School, Shanklin

Shanklin

Shanklin is a popular seaside resort and civil parish on the Isle of Wight, England, located on the east coast's Sandown Bay. The sandy beach, its Old Village and a wooded ravine, Shanklin Chine, are its main attractions. The esplanade along the beach is occupied by hotels and restaurants for the...

. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.