ONE of Hampshire’s oldest churches – St Hubert’s at Idsworth – is now using modern technology to tell its fascinating story for all its many visitors to enjoy.

Accessible by QR code at the church, a 20-minute film is the result of a collaborative project between St Hubert’s PCC and the  University of Portsmouth’s Heritage Hub. In a new, exciting and holistic way of approaching heritage, the film looks at the rich history of the location and the present, almost 1,000-year-old, church building, with its nationally-important wall paintings, alongside landscape, archaeology, people, usage and conservation.

Covering a total of 3,000 years since the Iron Age, the film tells a story which connects the past to the present. It describes historical events, shows historical artefacts, and details the changes that have occurred over the centuries as well as some of the people who have been involved, including a king and a queen, and how St Hubert’s continues to serve the community today as a parish church.

Project Lead for the production John Bannell, who is the churchwarden at St Hubert’s, said: “Although we have been working on this for the last 12 months, it has been so enjoyable that it seems no time at all since a small working group met for the first time here at St Hubert’s to discuss initial ideas. There are so many people to thank for helping us to bring this project to fruition – the representatives of the University, Chichester & District Archaeology Society, Rowlands Castle History & Heritage and the South Downs National Park Authority who have helped us plan its content; the  Friends of the Church of St Hubert Idsworth Trust and Rowlands Castle Association who have helped us to finance it and the team at the University who have filmed, recorded, edited and brought it all together superbly.”

Rev Joy Windsor, Priest-in-Charge of the benefice of Blendworth, Chalton and Idsworth added: “This has been a wonderful project which has been planned, financed and delivered by people who love St Hubert’s for all who love to worship at, or visit, St Hubert’s. It is a real milestone in the continuing life and history of this very special church.”

Dr Tarke Teba, Associate Professor in Architectural Heritage at the University of Portsmouth and co-lead on the project, said: “This collaboration reflects our commitment to contribute to local heritage and communities. The project demonstrates the significant contribution of creative practices, filmmaking on this occasion, to heritage interpretation, development and community engagement. The film aims, and has the capacity, to raise awareness and communicate key narratives of this significant historic site to local, national and international audiences.”

St Hubert’s is open every day from 9am until 6pm, from April 1st until September 30th, and from 9am until 4pm from October 1st until March 31st. There are church services every Sunday at 9:30am unless otherwise stated on the church notice board or on the church website.

You can watch the 20-minute film on the Blendworth, Chalton and Idsworth parishes website here.