St. Swithun's Church
Crampmoor, Romsey

You are warmly welcomed by the congregation to visit St Swithun's Church and to join in their worship

St Swithun's Church belongs to the Church of England. It is situated in the Parish of Romsey which is part of the Diocese of Winchester.

St. Swithun's is the daughter church of Romsey Abbey but it has a separate committee to organise the day to day running.

The church building lacks any real architectural value. It's interest lies solely in it's relation to the history of the locality, and the fact that it was purpose built in the nineteenth century to serve a rural community as a church and school.

There were originally two other such combined church/schools in the Parish, one at Lee, now the Romsey Art Group Gallery and one in Ridge Lane now a private house.

Prior to it being built in 1858, occasional well-attended services were held at the original Dame School on Halterworth Hill, or more often in the large room at the home of Mrs James Feltham of New Pond. A curate from Romsey would come out to take the services.

It was largely due to the efforts of three ladies, Mrs Suckling of Highwood House (now Stroud School), Mrs Caroline Rolfe and her sister-in-law, Mrs Jane Feltham, that the church/school was built. It replaced the Dame School.

The headmistress's accomodation was reached from the church, through a door which used to be just behind the present prayer desk. Her accomodation was small, consisting of a living room, bedroom, kitchen and larder with outside toilet facilities for both her and the children.

During weekdays the chancel was shut away by wooden panelling. The children were either taught in two classes in the one room (now the main body of the church), or the infant class, with a monitor in charge, were shut in the very small second room for their lessons (now the vestibule to the vestry).

On Friday evenings all evidence of the school had to be cleared away ready for church on Sunday. The place had to be scrupulously clean and prepared for use as a place of worship when the panelling was pulled back and the sanctuary revealed. After Evensong it was necessary to reverse the process and prepare the room for school next day.

In the twentieth century, parents became dissatisfied with the cramped conditions for the 50 children in the very small school, with its limited facilities and tiny playground.

A new school building was erected in School Road, and when that school opened in 1927 the children moved there and the church school then closed.

After a short period of closure for repairs and maintenance, the church re-opened and a caretaker was installed in the original teacher's house. The caretaker changed three times until the last one, Mrs Osie and her daughter Rosie. Mrs Osie died in 1960 but Rosie continued to live there until 1972. It was declared uninhabitable and Rosie moved into council accommodation.

Necessary repairs and alterations were made including knocking down much of the house and upgrading the electricity supply and heating, connecting to mains drainage (installing internal toilet facilities) and enlarging the vestry. The rotten floor of the church was replaced and a vault created to prevent the floor rotting again.

Further modernisation has taken place over the years and regular upkeep is an essential feature of the church year. In recent years a kitchenette has been installed and the church now has an audio loop system fitted.

St. Swithun

On 15 July 971 his remains were removed into the cathedral. The occasion was famous for the many cures claimed as miraculous, which accounted for his reputation as a healer, and also by very heavy rainfall believed to show his disapproval at the change of burial place. Even now it is often said that if it rains on St. Swithun's Day it will rain for the next forty days.