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History

901 AD.  The church is one of the earliest documented churches in Hampshire. It was in the manor of Wonston which was granted by Edward the Elder to the Abbot of St Peter's, Winchester.

1086 AD.  The Domesday Book records Wonston as belonging to the Bishop of Winchester for the support of the monks at the priory of St Swithun, Winchester.

1150 AD.   The Saxon church was enlarged and the present nave and chancel are though to have been completed by 1255 AD .

1333 AD.  The Prior of St Swithun was given consent by the Pope to appropriate the revenues of the church at Wonston (part of which was to be for the benefit of the Hospital of St Mary Magdalen on Morne Hill, Winchester).  The appropriation in fact never took place, probably owing to the appointment of the new Bishop of Winchester.

1450 AD.  The triplet of windows at the east end of the chancel was replaced by the present Perpendicular style window. 

1520 AD.  The tower was built.

1541 AD.  When the Priory of St Swithun was dissolved and Henry VIII established Winchester Cathedral as a Dean and Chapter, the Cathedral was endowed with the Priory's properties including the manor and church of Wonston.

1562 AD.  At the Reformation, the Rector, The Revd. John Fowler, refused to conform to the Act of Supremacy which abolished the authority of the Pope and established the Sovereign as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.  As a result, he was deprived of the living.

1714 AD.  Fire destroyed the roof of the church and a new roof was built, of which the truss against the west wall survived the later fire of 1908 AD.

1780 AD.  A gallery was built at the west end of the nave.

1802 AD.  The church's five largest bells were cast.

1825 AD.  The north aisle and a further gallery were built to accommodate the growing congregation.

1871 AD.  The two galleries were removed and the church re-seated with open pews, replacing the previous box pews. The mullions of the east window were restored, windows were constructed in the wall of the north aisle and an arcade of arches built between the north aisle and the nave.  A new font, pulpit and communion rail were installed.

1900 AD.  The west tower screen and ringing loft were added.

1908 AD.  A serious fire destroyed the chancel roof, the east end of the nave roof, the altar, communion table, some plate and many fittings and furnishings.

1909 AD.  The church was restored, the vestry added to the east end of the north aisle, new stained glass windows installed and a new organ built. The restoration work was supervised by TG Jackson (later Sir TG Jackson), the eminent architect who trained under Sir Gilbert Scott.  The organ was placed at the west end of the nave but the console was on the south wall of the chancel, in the recess.

1920 AD.  The War Memorial was erected.

1922 AD.  The crucifix placed over the War Memorial.

1924 AD.  The organ console was moved to its present position at the west end of the nave.

1932 AD.  A treble bell was added to complete the present ring of six.

1948 AD.  Electricity was installed.

1981 AD.  The bells were rehung and tuned. 

1983 AD.  The bell from St Luke's Church at Sutton Scotney was hung in the south porch.

1999 AD.  The roof of the north aisle was replaced.

Over the last thirty years or so, extensive repair work has been carried out to the tower, roofs and nave windows.

Constructing the Kissing Gate (Peter Clarke)