To the east of the town centre, but hidden down a side turning. It is a large church of 1899-1901 by George Fellowes-Prynne, added to a chancel and lady chapel of 1882 by R.J. Withers. It features one of Fellowes-Prynne’s characteristic stone screens. The pulpit is of 1651. The church more foundation and consecration stones than any other church I know of.
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It was as Director of Music at this church that a teenage John Baldwin began a musical career which led him (under the stage name of John-Paul Jones) to become the bass guitarist and keyboard player of Led Zeppelin. He nearly quit the band in 1975 to become Assistant Organist of Winchester Cathedral, but, having attended the auditions, was persuaded to remain.
But see this:
http://www.uncut.co.uk/features/an-audience-with-john-paul-jones-13397
Were you serious when you told Peter Grant that you wanted to jack it in to become choirmaster at Winchester Cathedral?
Brian Fisher, Manchester
Ha! That was a tongue-in-cheek joke, although I was serious about leaving Led Zeppelin in 1973 unless things changed. But Peter did sort things out pretty quickly. What kind of choirmaster would I have made? A bloody good one! Listen, any way that they’ll pay you for making music is just the best situation in the world. I’d do it for nothing. I don’t care what music it is. I just love it all. The rubbing of notes together. I love it all. I would be very passionate about whatever I decided to do.