The Parish Church, St. Nicholas. Christians have worshipped on the site since AD737. The Domesday Book records the church as being in "Broceste", as the Normans called Brockenhurst, and it is regarded as the oldest church in the Forest, standing on top of a hill overlooking the Village, the railway station and the level crossing on the A337 Lymington Road. The Church was enlarged by the Victorians but in the south wall of the old Nave there is some Saxon herring-bone masonry. The South doorway is a fine example of Norman work with chevron mouldings. The Arms of Queen Anne are displayed above and to the side of this door. The Purbeck stone, lead lined font, is Norman. Services are held each Sunday at 11.15am and 6pm. In the churchyard, to the left of the south entrance porch is an ancient Yew Tree, estimated to be well over 1,000 years old.

St. Nicholas' Churchyard (God's Acre in the BBC TV series) is now managed by the Parish Council. Here the Commonwealth War Graves Commission cares for 100 soldiers graves, among them 93 New Zealanders, 1 Australian and 3 Indians. These men were among the thousands of casualties of the first World War brought from France for treatment in the wartime Brockenhurst Hospital. In commemoration, an Anzac Service is held each year in the churchyard on the last Sunday in April, Anzac Day, attended by members of the Royal British Legion, village organisations and Representatives from the New Zealand High Commission.

The Annual Remembrance Day Service takes place at 10.00am in St. Saviours' Church, followed by a parade to the wreath-laying service at the Cenotaph in the Memorial Garden, Sway Road.

In the village church services take place in St. Saviours' close to the Brookley Road Watersplash.

For more information and service times please visit their website at www.brockenhurstchurch.com

Parish Office, (10am - Noon)
Tel. (0)1590 624584

St. Anne's Roman Catholic Church, Rhinefield Road.

For current Mass/Confession times please visit our website - St Anne's Website

The Presbytery Tel. (0)1590 622107

The exterior view is reproduced from a water colour painted by parishioner Mrs Anne Birks.

The key figures connected with St Anne's are commemorated in the "Three Mothers" windows behind the High Altar. The Mothers are St Anne with Mary, Mary with Jesus, and Elizabeth with John the Baptist. They are in memory, respectively, of Canon Hally, Mrs Lefevre and Mr & Mrs Morrison and finally Miss Baker - all of whom were key figures connected with the building of St Anne's and the foundation of the Parish of Brockenhurst.

St Anne's was officially opened on 12th July 1939. Prior to this date Brockenhurst was included in the Parish of Lyndhurst, Parish Priest Canon Hally (1912 - 1938), which at that time also covered Ashurst, Totton, Beaulieu and Boldre.

Canon Hally moved to Brockenhurst in 1938 and was to have been the first Parish Priest in the new parish. Unfortunately his health deteriorated holding up the opening of the church and he died at "Marylands", Wilverly Road on the 8th July 1939. It was decided by the Bishop of Portsmouth to make Canon Hally's Requiem the official opening of the Church of St Anne's. Canon Hally was laid to rest in front of the High Altar and a Brass Plaque marks the site of his tomb.

The Foundation Stone was laid on the 11th November 1937 by Bishop Cotter. The architects were Stewart and Sutcliffe Bournemouth whose local assistant was Mr Wilkinson of North Weirs. The church site was originally owned by Mr Wilkinson's father who sold it to Miss Baker for £500. Miss Baker also paid £3,500 towards the cost of the church using a legacy from her aunty Mrs Lefevre to fulfill her known wish to build a church in Brockenhurst. Canon Hally paid for the adjoining Presbytery which cost £2000.