Welcome to our Benefice
The Benefice consists of six parishes with seven church buildings. (A benefice is the area within which the priest holds his 'living' but may have more than one parish within it, in this case six.) In 2001, two benefices of three parishes each were amalgamated when one priest retired, and for a short time until his own retirement, the other priest was incumbent of all six. In November 2002, Canon Graham Hendy became Rector of the Upper Itchen Benefice, consisting of the six parishes of Beauworth, Bramdean, Cheriton, Hinton Ampner, Kilmeston and Tichborne. He retired in April 2008 and the benefice is currently awaiting a new Rector.
The Rectory, built in 1956, with, appropriately enough, a profusion of the white rose Rambling Rector, covering the pergola.
Most of the parishes are off the A272 Petersfield Road, but the Benefice takes its name from the fact that the River Itchen rises in the midst of the area and actually flows through several of the parishes, before passing through Alresford and the Itchen Valley to Southampton Water.
River Itchen as it flows out of Tichborne towards Alresford.
The Benefice is part of the Deanery of Alresford and Diocese of Winchester, which is one of the 44 bishoprics of the Church of England.
Links
Church of England – www.cofe.anglican.org
Diocese of Winchester – www.winchester.anglican.org
Winchester Cathedral - www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk
Alresford Deanery - www.alresford-deanery.hampshire.org.uk
