MISSION CHURCH FINDS NEW HOME

New Exhibit for Weald and Downland Open Air Museum

Ten years after its closure as a church, the Mission Church at South Wonston, near Winchester, is to be dismantled and reassembled at the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum at Singleton, near Chichester.  The mission church has been deteriorating since closure and the trustees who own it cannot afford to carry out the necessary repairs, maintenance and improvements to bring it up to modern standards, and they are delighted that the Museum has agreed to restore it to its former glory.  The church will be a welcome addition to the Museum’s collection of over 45 traditional rural buildings from the South East that have been rescued from destruction and restored as far as possible to their original form on the Museum’s beautiful downland site. 

The church is what is popularly known as a “tin tabernacle”, a prefabricated corrugated iron building designed to serve as a temporary church until a permanent building could be provided.  The church was a daughter church of Wonston Parish Church and was erected in 1909 to serve a growing population in an area some distance away from the parish church.  It was in use until 1996 when the population of South Wonston had outgrown it and a new church (St Margaret’s) was built next door to the primary school.  

Announcing the news, the Rector of Wonston Parish, the Rev Christopher Finch, said: “We are delighted to have found a new home for the Mission Church and new owners who will cherish it.  The church fulfilled an important need in the community in this corner of Hampshire for 85 years and was much loved by its congregation. We are very excited to think that it will now be seen by over 150,000 visitors to the Museum each year”.

The Minister of South Wonston, the Rev Sue Foster, added: “While the loss of the mission church marks the end of an era for the local community, there is much to look forward to in the coming months.  In the summer, we expect the Church Commissioners to approve South Wonston’s application to become an ecclesiastical parish in its own right, and in October, the Bishop of Winchester will be joining us in a special service to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the opening of St Margaret’s Church”.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The award-winning Weald & Downland Open Air Museum has over 45 historic building exhibits and is designated by the Government for the outstanding importance of its collections. Exhibits include a medieval farmstead; a working watermill producing wholemeal stoneground flour; exhibitions focusing on traditional building techniques and agriculture; historic gardens, farm livestock and a working Tudor kitchen. The Museum runs a well-established programme of courses in building conservation and rural crafts.  There is a café which uses the Museum’s own flour and a shop with gifts and books on countryside and buildings themes.  The modern Downland Gridshell houses the Museum’s building conservation centre and artefact collection. There is a daily tour at 1.30pm when the Museum is open, and an appointments system for visits to the collections for research purposes.

NOTE TO EDITORS

Reporters and photographers are welcome at the Museum. For further information call the Museum information line on 01243 811348 or contact Cathy Clark, Marketing Officer

Tel: 01243 811014.
Fax: 01243 811475
Email: marketing@wealddown.co.uk.

Full details about the Museum and its activities can be found at www.wealddown.co.uk 

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