St Peter and St Paul's Church, Mottistone

St Peter and St Paul’s Church stands in the quiet village of Mottistone on the Isle of Wight. A Grade I listed building, it is built of stone with a tiled roof and shingle spire. The church has a nave with aisles, a chancel, a north chapel and a south porch. Its west tower rises with a crenellated parapet and spire. The Cheke chapel was added in the 16th century by the Cheke family. The church’s long history includes work from the 12th century onwards. Much of the present structure dates from the 15th century, with a Victorian restoration in 1863. In 1862 the chancel roof was rebuilt using timber from the Bermudan barque Cedrene, wrecked nearby when only 16 days old. A 2014 project improved access for disabled visitors. In 2015 the church hosted the wedding of theatre director Sophie Hunter to Benedict Cumberbatch. Inside, the font may be from the 12th century though reshaped later. A parclose screen in the Cheke chapel was commissioned in 1948 by John Seely, 2nd Baron Mottistone, in memory of his father. The lingering scent of Bermuda cedar from the Cedrene still fills the air a century after the wreck.