Architecturally, St Hubert’s Church is an exceptionally important example of a small rural parish church that has evolved gradually from Saxon origins while preserving features from almost every period of its history. Built primarily of flint and stone rubble with stone dressings beneath tiled roofs, the church retains a simple appearance that belies the richness of its interior.

The building consists of a two-bay nave, a lower two-bay chancel, a south-east vestry and a west porch. Above the eastern end of the nave rises a distinctive timber bell turret crowned by a pyramidal shingled roof. The church plan reflects centuries of adaptation, with the chancel likely added during the twelfth or thirteenth century and the nave widened on its southern side during the early sixteenth century.

Several features reveal the church's Saxo-Norman origins. A small round-headed Norman window survives on the north side of the nave, while a blocked Norman doorway remains visible nearby. Most significant is the south doorway, believed to be either late Saxon or late eleventh century in date. Although reset, it retains its characteristic roll moulding and strap imposts, making it one of the oldest surviving architectural elements in the building.

The church's exterior combines architectural details from many periods. The south wall contains late Perpendicular two-light windows with hood moulds, while the west porch incorporates reused Tudor bricks and decorative timberwork. An incised medieval sundial survives on the south-west corner of the nave, providing a reminder of medieval methods of marking the hours of worship.

The interior is among the most complete and atmospheric of any Hampshire church. The nave retains a barrel-vaulted roof with exposed tie beams, while the chancel preserves a roof restored by Goodhart-Rendel with decorative plaster panels and carved medallions. Above the chancel arch is the exposed timber framework supporting the bell turret, creating a striking focal point within the building.

Among the church's most important furnishings is a fourteenth-century octagonal font decorated with shields, quatrefoils and trefoil panels. Equally notable are the surviving box pews, medieval benches and the impressive double-decker pulpit with its tester, reflecting changing patterns of worship from the medieval period through the eighteenth century.

The chancel preserves a rich collection of medieval liturgical features including a piscina, sedilia, aumbry and traces of a medieval reredos. The east window splays contain painted figures of St Peter and St Paul, while angels survive in the arch soffit above. These features provide a rare glimpse into the decorative richness of a medieval parish church.

The church is perhaps best known for its wall paintings. Dating from around 1330, the extensive mural cycle on the north wall of the chancel depicts scenes from the life of St John the Baptist, including Herod's Feast and the medieval legend of the Hairy Anchorite. These paintings are among the finest medieval wall paintings in Hampshire and form one of the church's greatest treasures.

Taken together, the Saxon doorway, Norman openings, medieval murals, historic furnishings and carefully preserved interior make St Hubert's one of the most important small parish churches in southern England. Few buildings preserve such a complete architectural record of rural church life from the late Saxon period through to the modern era.

Church of St Hubert

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