Perhaps more than a fair share of the island's treasures are to be found in this small place, for it has some noble houses. Yet its chief treasure is probably that confronting us as we pass through the ancient doorway of its church. It is a big 15th century wall-painting of St Christopher carrying century rector, in a long full-sleeved gown and a tippet fastened by a rosette on one shoulder. By an economical arrangement the upper
part of the stone in which this brass is inlaid was used later for another inscription to John Godsall, a vicar here for 54 years, who died in 1732. The other portrait brass is of two pretty women with 15 children, the "dear and loyal wives" of Barnabas Leigh. The 10 sons and five daughters belong to Mistress Elizabeth Bampneld, resplendent in handsome Elizabethan gown and head-dress. The second wife has lovely clothes too, but no headdress hides her beautiful hair.

In the north aisle is the canopied alabaster monument of Sir John Leigh, who died in 1629. He kneels at a prayer desk and has the beard, ruff, and hose of the day. Behind him in a long gown on a high hassock kneels his great-grandson Barnabas. When Sir John had died and was lying in the house awaiting burial, Barnabas, a lovely little fellow here, only nine months old, fell sick and died, and they sleep together, their epitaph ending:

Inmate in grave, he took his grandchild heir,
Whose soul did haste to make to him repair,
And so to heaven along as little page
With him did post, to wait upon his age,

Sir John, who built the splendid many-gabled house across the way (North Court), gave the church its stone spire with the weathercock dated 1617.

Text courtesy of: Southern Life (UK)