A century and a half of worship will end next month in a village west of Petersfield as an historic East Hampshire church has held its final service.

There was hope and sadness among the pews in Langrish on Sunday (September 6) as around 120 people gathered in St John’s for a final service led by the Bishop of Portsmouth, The Rt Rev Dr Jonathan Frost.

The commemorative service was a time for a reflection, with the church due to close permanently for worship on October 1.

But it was also a celebration, as villagers came together to remember all those past and present “whose lives have been shaped by Langrish church” over the decades, from its benefactors, former clergy and lay readers to the faithful departed and wider community.

The occasion must have been bittersweet for current Priest in Charge, Father Tony Forrest, as just over five years ago he conducted a dedication service to mark 150 years since St John’s was consecrated.

Father Tony assisted Bishop Jonathan at Sunday’s service, which included readings by congregation members and a recital of the anthem ‘For the Beauty of the Earth’ by the East Meon and Langrish Choir.

PP St John's Langrish Final Service Bishop Vicar
The Bishop of Portsmouth, The Rt Rev Dr Jonathan Frost, with Father Tony Forrest, outside St John's Langrish. (Ian and Julie Blackwell)

The congregation was full of residents and family members with a link to the church; people who had witnessed baptisms, weddings and funerals in addition to countless celebrations, memorials and concerts.

But amongst the sadness, Bishop Jonathan’s sermon was also full of hope for the future, with the parish now entering a new era with its neighbours in East Meon.

Refreshments were served afterwards with more than 120 people sharing memories, and meeting old and new friends, on an emotional day in the village.

The building of the picturesque church beside the A272 was initiated by George Waddington, a forebearer of the Talbot-Ponsonby family which resides in Langrish House.

George sadly died before the church was completed but his brother John finished the building with the Bishop of Winchester, Samuel Wilberforce, consecrating it in 1871.

PP Langrish Church Final sermon
The Bishop gives the sermon in St John's Langrish (Ian and Julie Blackwell)

Sadly, the church has struggled since the pandemic with leaders being unable to fill an administrative post and deciding against launching a £90,000 appeal for a new roof amid the cost-of-living crisis.

The first moves to close St John’s began in 2023 when a Pastoral Scheme was drawn up by Church Commissioners with advice from the Portsmouth Diocese. The plan included merging the parish of Langrish with East Meon, with a formal consultation being launched in mid-2025.

The proposed closure was put on hold when Canon Terry Louden, the church’s former vicar of 17 years, made an objection. But while leaders acknowledged the Canon made “vital points” in his submission, the death knell had ultimately been sounded.

With 155 years of worship coming to a close, the future of the beautiful St John’s building now rests in the hands of Portsmouth Diocese and Church Commissioners.

The adjacent churchyard is a separate entity and will remain open for the community under the jurisdiction of the East Meon and Langrish Parochial Church Council.