page_title: Holyrood Church
section_title: Holyrood today
hierarchical_section_title: Holyrood Church / Holyrood today
caption_attribution_description: English: Holyrood Church, Southampton Mostly destroyed during the raids in the 1940s, the tower is preserved as a monument to the merchant seaman who have lost their lives at sea.
context_page_description: Holyrood 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. It is a Grade II* listed building.
context_section_description: Following the destruction of the church during the blitz, the only parts of the church still standing are the tower at the south-western corner and the chancel at the eastern end, together with large parts of the north walls. The wooden spire was lost as was the great west window, whilst the central area of the church was completely destroyed.
  On the west face of the tower there is a memorial plaque to Charles Dibdin (1745–1814) described as a "native of Southampton, poet, dramatist and composer, author of Tom Bowling, Poor Jack and other sea songs". Above the plaque are the clock and church bells, which feature pre-1760 Quarter jacks, small figures that strike the quarters of each hour.
  Inside the church, under the tower is a memorial fountain, erected in 1912–13 for those who lost their lives in the sinking of the RMS Titanic, which was removed from its original site in Cemetery Road on Southampton Common. The fountain is supported on four stone columns, with a curved pediment on each side with carvings depicting the "Titanic", surmounted by a four-columned cupola.
  The memorial is augmented by audioposts installed in 2007, from which can be selected historical recordings made by the Southampton Oral History Unit which "give the listener a very real impression of what the now ruined church looked like before the war and what that area meant to those who loved it".
  The whole edifice is dedicated to the men of the Merchant Navy and hosts the annual Merchant Navy Day memorial service; in the corner of the former nave is an anchor behind which is a plaque bearing the legend:
  The church of Holyrood erected on this site in 1320 was damaged by enemy action on 30 Nov 1940. Known for centuries as the church of the sailors the ruins have been preserved by the people of Southampton as a memorial and garden of rest, dedicated to those who served in the Merchant Navy and lost their lives at sea.
  As part of the improvements in 2004–06, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the artist metal worker, Charles Normandale created a series of wrought iron metal screens, gates and railings for the Chancel and Titanic Memorial Fountain. The chancel, now with a glass roof, and nave are used for temporary exhibitions and musical events.
caption: Holyrood Church, Southampton.
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