Holyrood Church, Southampton

Holyrood Church, Southampton
Holyrood Church, Southampton
Holyrood Church, Southampton Shown within Southampton
50°53′59″N 1°24′13″W / 50.89966°N 1.40353°W / 50.89966; -1.40353Coordinates: 50°53′59″N 1°24′13″W / 50.89966°N 1.40353°W / 50.89966; -1.40353
Location	Southampton, Hampshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
History
Founded	1320
Dedication	Holy Cross
Architecture
Functional status	Merchant Navy Memorial
Heritage designation	Listed building – Grade II*
Architectural type	Church
Style	Medieval
Specifications
Capacity	974 (1851 Census)

Holyrood Church (or Holy Rood Church) was one of the original five churches serving the old walled town of Southampton, England. Built in 1320, the church was destroyed by enemy bombing during the blitz in November 1940. In 1957 the shell of the church was dedicated as a memorial to the sailors of the Merchant Navy.

The first documentary evidence of the existence of Holyrood was in 1160 when Henry II granted the Chapels of St. Michael, Holyrood, St. Lawrence and All Saints' to the monks of St. Denys. The name of the church, "Holy Rood", indicates its Saxon origins; if the church had been founded after the Norman conquest, it would have been named "St. Cross".

The original church was situated in the centre of the High Street, then known as "English Street", but in 1320, the church was pulled down and rebuilt on its present site on the eastern side of the road.

During the Middle Ages, the church was situated at the centre of the town and was the parish church for the south-eastern quarter. As such, it became a focal point for life in the town and was used as a place of worship by crusaders en route to the Holy Land, soldiers heading for Agincourt in 1415 and Philip II of Spain in 1554 on his way to marry Queen Mary at Winchester Cathedral.

In his 1801 "Walk Through Southampton", Sir Henry Englefield describes Holy Rood thus: