Brading Church

Church

St Mary's Church in Brading is one of the oldest and most historically significant churches on the Isle of Wight. The building dates substantially from the twelfth century, with later medieval additions, and stands on a site that has been used for worship since at least the Saxon period. Brading was once the principal town of the eastern half of the island, granted a charter and holding its own market, and the church reflects that former importance in its scale and quality. The interior contains notable monuments, including the tomb of Sir John Oglander, the seventeenth-century diarist whose journals provide an invaluable record of island life during the Civil War period and whose observations remain widely quoted. There are good brasses, medieval floor tiles, and traces of wall paintings that hint at the richness of the original decoration. The church tower is a prominent local landmark visible from across the surrounding farmland. The churchyard is large and atmospheric, with views towards the former Brading Haven, once an open harbour used by coastal vessels but now reclaimed as productive agricultural land. The church is open to visitors and holds regular services. Brading itself is a small, quiet town with a long history, a well-known Roman villa nearby, and the church remains its most important and visually striking building.