Church Micro 3693 - South Baddesley Traditional Geocache
Church Micro 3693 - South Baddesley
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The Parish Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, South Baddesley.
South Baddesley is a small village in the civil parish of Boldre in the New Forest National Park of Hampshire, England. It lies 2.3 miles (3.7 km) north-east from Lymington, its nearest town.
The parish church of St. Mary came into existence when the parish of South Baddesley was formed out of Boldre parish in 1858. At that time a small chapel that had stood on this site for about forty years was enlarged to form the present church. This smaller chapel was itself the successor to an earlier building very near to Pylewell House that was demolished in 1819; and that chapel, built in or about 1731, replaced an ancient chapel dating back to the 14th Century. This chapel, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, was built by 1329.
The influence of Pylewell is, of course, apparent in a great many features of the building and its contents. The bricks used in building it and the hexagonal tiles on the floor of the nave were made at Pitts Deep in the brickyard of the PylewelI estate. The lectern and the altar cross were given in memory of the first William Whitaker; and the pulpit and panelling of the chancel, both made by estate employees from homegrown oak, and the sanctuary lamp are memorials to his son. So, too, is the reredos behind the altar which consists of 'material used in Westminster Abbey at the coronation of King George Vl and presented to St. Mary's Church by Her Highness Princess Marie Louise as a memorial to William Ingham Whitaker who died on July 10th, 1936`. The cushions and kneelers in the front pews were worked by his widow, Hilda, and the kneelers at the altar rail, with the views of Pylewell House in petit point, by his daughter, Elspeth.
Another unusual feature is the construction of the domed ceiling at the crossing, which is suspended from a large metal wheel mounted above. This part of the church sustained serious damage in February, 1974, when an elm tree crashed on the roof during a storm. The building became unsafe for worship, and for more than two years the services were held in the village hall. Repair on this scale was a major undertaking for a parish of this size, with only about eighty people on the electoral roll; but in January, 1976 a roof appeal was launched and raised £4,000 in three months. The work was done, an heroic effort by Mr. F. C. Keeping, and the church reopened with a service attended by the Bishop of Winchester in October of that year - a remarkable achievement by all concerned.
It will be noticed that there are two entrances to the church: that in the south transept was intended for the use of the Lord of the Manor and his family, while the other at the west end gives access to the nave through the porch. Above the porch is the belfry which now contains a single bell bearing the inscription, "WM TOSHER CAST ME IN 1731". This bell was presumably transferred from the earlier Worsley chapel when that was demolished in 1818. The bell was cast by William Tosier (spelling does not seem to have been among his accomplishments) and was one of the last bells to be made at the Salisbury foundry where bells had been cast throughout the years from 1580 to 1733, the last bell of all being made in that year for St. Michael's Church, Southampton.
The graveyard came into use when the ecclesiastical parish was formed in 1858. The earliest grave, to be found near the centre of the plot on the south side of the church, is that of Edmund Perkins, who was buried on the 20th July, 1859
The Cache is a small Micro with only a Cache Log to sign, so please have a pen with you.
The Cache is not hidden within the Church boundaries.
You are looking for " KEN ALLEN'S GATE" dated 1918 - 2005. to the right of the Church, note the large stump with a cross on it, providing you with a seat to sit and write your log.
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Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Haqre 'Cnvag Oehfu'.