A TEST Valley parish has welcomed its Diocesan Bishop for the first time in 120 years.

The new Bishop of Winchester, Right Rev Philip Mounstephen, visited the church of St Leonard’s in Sherfield English near Romsey on Sunday, September 15, to conduct a service celebrating 120 years since its consecration.

“It was a real pleasure to welcome Bishop Philip,” said James Pitkin, Rector of St Leonard’s, “and we’re very grateful to him for giving up his time and becoming the first Bishop of Winchester to visit since Bishop Herbert Ryle consecrated the church in 1904.”

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The bell-ringers at St Leonard's in 2022  (Image: St Leornards Church)

The bishop had taken the time to read newspaper reports of the 1904 service (including those from the Hampshire Chronicle), and quoted excerpts from his predecessor’s sermon during his own light-hearted but thought-provoking address on the Prodigal Son.

The service included hymns and readings used in the 1904 service of consecration and finished with tea and cake for the congregation of over 80 parishioners and visitors.

Among those attending were local MP Caroline Nokes, leader of Hampshire County Council, Nick Adams-King, former Rector of the parish, Christopher Pettet, and descendants of George Olden, who gave the land on which the church was built and who served as churchwarden for 50 years.

The service on Sunday afternoon was the culmination of a weekend of activities that saw the church open its doors on Saturday for an exhibition of its history and an "access all areas" tour. Local resident, Caroline Tanner, had put together a comprehensive guide to the church’s fabric (including items brought over from the previous 13th-century church), as well as details of Lady Louisa Ashburton, who paid for the current structure to be built.

The bell ringers provided an especially popular attraction on the day, with a live video link to the bell tower, enabling people in the church to see the ring of eight bells in action. Those brave and fit enough to tackle the steep, corkscrew staircase were invited up into the tower and given the chance to try their hands at ringing. On Sunday morning, the regular team of ringers successfully tackled a quarter peal to mark the celebratory weekend.

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Despite the weekend’s success, churchwarden, Julia Noble, said the celebrations aren’t over yet: “We set ourselves the challenge of an event every month for 2024, so there’s still lots to come. Alongside our regular coffee mornings, we have a Harvest event in October and our bellringers are planning to ring 1,904 changes to mark our inaugural year.

"November is our ‘Month of Memories’ with several events planned, and our history exhibition proved so popular that we have been asked to provide a private tour for one local history group. The support from the local community has been incredible at a time when people are claiming that rural churches are moribund.”

More details of events and services at St Leonard’s can be found on the A Church Near You website or on the village website for Sherfield English.