From — Some Ancient Churches in North East Hampshire
There are two ways leading from East Worldham to the scattered hamlets which
constitute the parish of Binsted. The first is by the old Saxon track near
the church, the other being lower down the hill and along the road past
Kingsley old church.
Binsted church, dedicated to the Holy Cross, is one of the largest and most
interesting mediaeval churches in the north east of the county, arguably
surpassed only by that of Crondall. It served a large parish, much of which
was covered by Alice Holt Forest, in which there were small chapels of ease.
Yet this big church itself remained a mere chapelry of Alton until 1865.
It stands at the top of a greensand ridge and has the Alton arm of the River
Wey just below and to the north. The present church dates from the early
part of the 12th century but, as with East Worldham, there could have been
an earlier Saxon church on, or near, the site.
From the outside the first impression is of a simple early Norman building
to which many additions have been made during the passing centuries, most of
these possibly in the first hundred years of the church's existence,
indicating a rapid growth in population during the 11th and 12th centuries,
when most of the village would attend church services. This may have been
the reason for the building of the north and south aisles at a much earlier
date than for most churches.
The original entrance to the nave would probably have been at the west end,
through the lower section of the tower. The sturdy timber framing in the
ground floor of the tower is mediaeval, possibly of the fourteenth century,
as is the framework of the slated spire. The upper section is of a later
date. At its earliest, the church consisted of the present nave. When the
church was extended eastwards, clerestory windows were cut into the east
wall above the chancel arch to restore light to the nave.
Most of the windows are Early English, with point headed lancets. The east
window, by the artist Capronnier in 1875, has three long lancets, but those
in the north and south walls of the chancel are of Norman origin.
Under the chancel arch there is a crypt, now closed in, but the arched
entrance to which can clearly be seen on the lower part of the north wall.
The crypt is thought to contain the remains of those who were buried near
the north wall and displaced when the north chapel was built.
In the north chapel is the tomb of a Crusader, Richard de Westcote - a fine
though battered effigy of c.1320 in a contemporary arched recess. The grave
of Field Marshal Lord Montgomery of Alamein can be found in the churchyard.
