EARLY SUSSEX ARCHITECTURE
Saxon.
For the Dark Ages, all that we can point out with any certainty in the way of field antiquities are promontory earthwork
forts or burhs at East Hill, Hastings, and at Burpham, on the E. bank of the Arun. Both are mentioned in an early 10th-cent.
document known as the Burghal Hidage. A similar 'burh' at Lewes developed into a mediaeval town.
Traces of the Saxon settlement are also to be found in place-names.
There are considerable and important remains of Saxon ecclesiastical architecture. Out of a total of some 316
churches, indisputable pre-Conquest features have been noted in 24, but the figure is brought up to 70 by the inclusion of
churches about which there is no universal agreement. The principal churches are Arlington, Bishopstone, Bosham, St. Botolph, Clayton,
Ford, Jevington, Selham, Singleton, Sompting, Stopham, Westhampnett, Woolbeding, and Worth.
Objects of art include the notable carved panels in Chichester Cathedral, the carved stones at Sompting, a child's
grave-slab at St. Peter's church, Bexhill, and a sundial with the name Eadric at Bishopstone.
Church Architecture.
The Norm. style is well represented. Instances are Old Shoreham, New Shoreham (tower and transepts), Chichester
Cathedral (nave, choir, and transepts), Newhaven (tower and chancel), Amberley (nave). Shipley, and the
two small churches of Tortington and North Marden, are almost entirely Norm.
A number of fine churches belong to the end of the period, where it begins
to merge into Gothic. All dates from 1150 to close on 1200 are illustrated.
The best churches (arranged according to their dates) are Steyning (nave),
Broadwater (tower and chancel), New Shoreham (chancel). Other examples are
Battle (nave), Bishopstone (nave and chancel), Clymping (tower), West Wittering.
Early English.
Many churches are wholly and very few not partly built in this style, which
begins in the eastern part of the presbytery of Chichester Cathedral and at
Boxgrove. Several village churches, especially in W. Sussex, were originally
Norm., which has been altered to EE.
Of churches entirely in the style, Pevensey, Appledram, Chidham, and Patcham,
will serve as illustrations: they are neither large nor elaborate, and plainness
is in fact a note of this style in Sussex. West Hoathly and Horsted Keynes
are nearly all EE. Note also Fletching (chancel and transepts), Ditchling
(chancel), West Tarring (nave), Wisborough Green (chancel), and Burpham (chancel).
Decorated churches are very rare. There is a beautiful geometrical church
at Winchelsea, and a finely fenestrated church at Etchingham. Work of this
period is also shown in Chichester Cathedral (lady chapel), at Isfield and
Ardingly, and in the windows of Eastbourne, Trotton, and Harting. Alfriston
is a notable example of the transition to Perp.
Perpendicular churches are rarer still. There are two fine examples at Hastings-St.
Clement's and All Saints' - and others at Arundel, Poynings, Mayfield, Ticehurst,
Framfield, and Pulborough (nave).
Spires.
Very characteristic of Sussex is the almost universal shingled spire. It
is usually pyramidal, and a low squat form of it is sometimes called the 'Sussex
cap'; but several, such as Billingshurst, Horsham, Horsted Keynes, and Bosham,
are of considerable height. The Saxon four-sided timber spire of Sompting
is unique. Old stone spires are unusual, and only five exist, i.e. Chichester
Cathedral (rebuilt), Chiddingly, Dallington, East Preston, and Northiam. There
are three round towers, i.e. Lewes (St. Michael's), Piddinghoe, and Southease.
It is usually thought that the round towers of flint were so built to avoid
the use of more expensive stone quoins.
Church Fittings.
Fonts:
Old fonts are numerous. There are three leaden fonts at Edburton, Parham,
and Pyecombe, and others of interest by reason of their early date at Cocking,
Clayton, Chidham, Denton, Lodsworth, Milland, Poling, and Yapton.
Note on a characteristic type of West Sussex font. This is a square bowl,
most often of Sussex or Purbeck marble, with a shallow arcading on its sides,
usually round-headed, and supported by a thick central circular pedestal with
four smaller circular shafts at the angles. The shafts often have mouldings
of an EE. character; they may all belong to the 12th cent., though at least
one occurs in an almost entirely EE. church at Appledram.
The finest example is at New Shoreham; others are at Aldingbourne, Amberley,
Appledram, Barnham, Battle, Coates, Eastbourne, Felpham, Harting, Hooe, Lancing,
Merston, Rodmell, Rudgwick, Selsey, Sidlesham, Steyning, Stoughton, Warnham,
Wiggonholt, and Wiston. The following also approximate to the type: Bosham,
West Grinstead, Pulborough, Slaugham. Apart from this, plain square fonts
without arcading are fairly common. It should be added that this type of square
marble font (of Wealden, Sussex, or Purbeck marble) is common to the Home
Counties, and is found, e.g. at Willesden, Middlesex; Frensham, Surrey; and
Burham and Chislehurst, Kent - all being of dates between 1150 and 1200.
Chests.
Sussex has a remarkable series of early 13th-cent. wooden chests. The
following are representative and well worthy of notice: Chichester Cathedral
(N. presbytery aisle), South Bersted, Bosham, and Midhurst.
Bells.
Bell-founding was practised at Chiddingly, where a peal was cast for Eastbourne
in 1651, and at Hailsham, where the bells for Hailsham church were cast at BellBank.
Itinerant bellfounders also practised their art widely. The oldest dated bell,
1369, is at Duncton; the oldest bell, c.1250, at Thorney.
Brasses.
There are some ninety-seven effigy brasses in Sussex churches, ranging in
time from the early years of the 14th cent. to the first quarter of the 17th
cent., by which time the art had practically declined. The quite exceptional
brass at Cowfold to Thomas Nelond, prior of St. Pancras, Lewes (d.1433) is
the finest in the county and one of the most notable in England, and at Trotton
is a brass to Margaret de Camoys (c.1310), the oldest brass in Sussex and
the oldest known brass effigy to a woman.
The oldest dated brass is that of 1387 to Sir William de Etchingham at Etchingham.
At Rusper (c.1375) and Ore near Hastings (c.1430) are especially good examples
of civilian dress of the period. Other brasses of particular interest may
be seen at Battle, Buxted, Etchingham, West Grinstead, Herstmonceux, Lewes,
Northiam, Pulborough, Stopham, Ticehurst, Warbleton, and Wiston.
Wooden Effigies
One example of this rare class of monument, that to Anthony St. Leger (1539)
or Anthony Kempe (1555) - the attribution is uncertain - may be seen at Slindon.
Stone Effigies.
Sussex ecclesiologists have taken their fair share in the recent revival
of interest in medieval and Renaissance stone monuments, a feature of our
churches which had for some reason been long neglected by modern students.
There is a very comprehensive series in marble, stone, and alabaster, the
earliest of which is that to one of the de Braose family, c.1250, in the Gundrada
chapel at St. John's, Southover, Lewes. Other monuments worthy of note may
be seen at Arundel, Battle, Cuckfield, Eastbourne, West Firle, Horsham, Herstmonceux,
Ifield, Isfield, Mayfield, Petworth, Racton, Ringmer, Sidlesham, Slaugham,
West Stoke, Warnham, Winchelsea, Winton, and West Wittering.
Wall-paintings.
There are records and remains of nearly one hundred medieval wall-paintings.
Among the best and most interesting are: Aldingbourne, Arundel, Binsted, Chichester
Cathedral and Bishop's Palace, West Chiltington, Clayton, Ford, Hardham, Patcham,
Preston, Shulbrede, Slindon, Trotton, and Westbourne. Modern paintings of
note may be seen at Berwick and St. Elizabeth, Eastbourne.
Glass.
The scanty remains of early glass are disappointing considering the importance
of glass-making in Sussex. The earliest is the remarkable collection of late
13th-cent. and early 14th-cent. figure subjects and grisaille at North Stoke
and the bust of St. Thomas of Canterbury at Chalvington. There is 14th-cent.
glass at Battle, Boxgrove, Poynings, Sutton, and Westham, that at Sutton being
especially good. Battle and Yapton have good examples of 15th-cent. and 16th-cent.
glass.
Wooden Screens.
The late 13th-cent. screens at St. Mary's Hospital, Chichester, Rodmell,
and Old Shoreham, are among the best preserved in Sussex. There are good early
14th-cent. examples at Bignor and Eastbourne.
