St Swithun's Church, Headbourne Worthy

Saxon roods which are a short detour from the Pilgrim’s Way and St Swithun’s Way near Winchester

There are three large Saxon roods, or Crucifixion sculptures, in this part of Hampshire. The one at Headbourne Worthy was smashed to pieces after the Reformation, but the fevered little chisellers forgot to delete the hand of God at the top. All that remains below is a shadow of His son’s Crucifixion.

The rood can be seen in the vestry: go through the door at the western end of the nave. The cross originally stood outside the church over the main entrance, but the side room was built to enclose it in the 16th century. On either side of the cross are St John the Evangelist and Our Lady, the traditional composition for Crucifixion scenes. This is the largest surviving Saxon rood, the figures bigger than life size. It was carved around 1000.

This wall of the church, the nave’s north wall and the chancel date from around 1030. The rest of the building is mostly 13th century. It sits apart from the nearby town, in the meadows of a hillside with a river running by, the route of the River Itchen Way for modern-day pilgrims.

Directions

St Swithun’s Church, London Road (B3047), Headbourne Worthy SO23 7JW

W3W: durations.funnels.eased

GPS: 51.0851N 1:3056W

Parking near this church is very difficult, standing as it does on a busy road with no car park. Bedfield Lane, 200m north of the church, is best place to look for parking. The turning is signed to the ‘Good Life Garden Centre & Farm Shop’.