Isle of Wight Trip – Day 0 (Cowes – Holy Trinity Church)

Sadly, Holy Trinity Church in Cowes was locked when I tried to visit, so I wasn’t able to see inside. However, it was built in 1832 and was designed by Benjamin Bramble using primarily Isle of Wight yellow brick and was based on the same designs which were used for St. Thomas’s Church in Ryde. The church was funded by Sarah Goodwin and intriguingly she did this to provide employment for her son-in-law the Reverend Maximillian Geneste. How rather noble…

The church was formally consecrated on 21 June 1832 by the Rt. Reverend, the Lord Bishop of the Diocese. There was a collection held after the service which was donated to the Funds of the County Female Penitentiary. I liked how the church was advertising for a new curate in 1867 and they wanted “an active, earnest fair preacher, of no extreme views”.

A view of the tower which has extensive views out to sea, so it’s no surprise that there is a strong connection with the maritime community. In the garden of the church there is a memorial to those killed in the Fastnet Race in 1979, when fifteen yachtsmen died along with another four people who were watching the event from a yacht.

It was mildly disappointing that I couldn’t get to see inside, but maybe another time.