St Mary's Church, Walberton
Encyclopedia
St Mary's Church is an Anglican church in the village of Walberton
in the district of Arun
, one of seven local government districts in the English county of West Sussex
. Its 11th-century origins are now mostly hidden behind the results of extensive restoration
work undertaken since the 18th century; but some Saxon-era
fragments remain, and reused Roman building materials can still be seen in the walls. The extensive collection of 18th-century gravestones
in the churchyard includes some especially macabre examples. English Heritage
has listed the church at Grade I for its architectural and historical importance.
and 8 miles (12.9 km) east of the county town
of Chichester
. The village of Walberton, the largest settlement, developed to the southwest of the main routes through the parish—the east–west Roman road
between Brighton
and Chichester (now the A27 road
) and the north-south route between Madehurst
and Yapton
.
A church was recorded at the time of the Domesday survey
in 1086; it had a permanent priest at that time, indicating its importance. It was a simple two-cell building with a nave
and chancel
. The west wall of the nave was built almost entirely of rubble and stones salvaged from Roman-era
sites nearby, and had brick quoin
s. The lord of the manor
granted the advowson
of the church to the abbey at Lessay
, France, in 1105. The abbey was associated with the priory at Boxgrove
, a few miles from Walberton; the priory controlled it from about 1174 until the Dissolution of the Monasteries
in 1536.
The first structural change came in the 12th century, when the east end of the nave was given arcades, each with two bays
, on the north and south sides. These aisles are not homogeneous in style—almost every column and arch is a different width or height—suggesting that they were built over a long period of time, possibly even extending into the 13th century. The chancel was rebuilt in the 13th century; this work made it wider than the nave. Lancet window
s were added at the same time. A porch was added on the north side at the same time; it also has lancets, and is considered a rare example.
The chancel arch was replaced in the 14th century, and a new roof was added to the nave a century later. It formed an unbroken roofline across the nave and aisles, which was possible because the church lacked a clerestory
. A new west window was added at the same time, along with some other windows.
The fortunes of the church declined in the 17th and 18th centuries, and repair work had to be carried out several times, including to the roof and the south aisle (which was completely rebuilt). In the 19th century, the porch, chancel, belfry
and the relatively new gallery were all altered, and the Saxon-era west entrance door was blocked. Despite all this work, yet more repairs were needed by the start of the 20th century: the nave was in danger of collapse—possibly because of the earlier work on the belfry, which had some of its supporting timberwork removed. A wholesale restoration was paid for by public donations; the architect Richard Creed was commissioned. His work, which was very extensive and eliminated almost all pre-Norman elements, has been criticised as "clumsy" and even "mulish". The nave and aisles were transformed, buttress
es were added to support the west wall of the nave, the belfry was given a new supporting structure, and the chancel and nave roofs were relaid again.
The churchyard is large and has a wide variety of gravestones and rarer wooden graveboards from the 18th century onwards. The carvings on gravestones of that era are often gruesome, in Sussex and elsewhere, and at Walberton there are three examples detailing their victims' causes of death. The earliest, commemorating the death in 1767 of Charles Cook, is also the most prominent because of its remarkably good condition. The white slab shows Cook crushed under a fallen tree, watched by a laughing skeleton to the left, a hat-wearing man (who is holding an axe) and Father Time
(carrying his traditional scythe
and hourglass
) to the right, and a company of trumpet-playing angels above. Such imagery was often used on ancient gravestones because not everybody could read.
Elsewhere in the churchyard, the 1st Earl of Woolton, Minister of Food
during the Second World War, is buried; he lived at Walberton House, the former manor house
. A large stone coffin was found in the ground in front of the north porch in 1834; it may be of Saxon origin. It is now displayed inside the church. A lychgate was added at the churchyard entrance in the 20th century.
St Mary's Church opened a mission hall in Fontwell village in 1930. This closed about 30 years later.
structure with some ashlar
and brickwork. It has a chancel, nave with north and south aisles, porch, tiled roof, and a shingled
spire which sits on top of the weatherboarded
belfry. Part of the nave has been converted into a vestry
and other rooms. The entrance door at the west end is now the only part of the church where any pre-Norman masonry can be seen. The 13th-century chancel retains its original lancet window
s, but other windows elsewhere in the church were renewed in the 15th century. Many have since been replaced. The windows in the north porch have trefoil
openings at the top. The nave roof had a Saxon cross-gable until the restorations of 1903.
The belfry and its framework are typical of the Chichester area. It holds six bells, three of which were added in 1903; the others were cast between the 16th and 18th centuries but were remade as part of Creed's restoration. Other interior features include the Saxon stone coffin, which is displayed beneath the west window; an ancient stone font
which was discovered in a field; a marble and iron burial vault for a local family; and a memorial stone to a previous vicar, which was carved by Sussex sculptor
Eric Gill
.
on 5 June 1958. Such buildings are defined as being of "exceptional interest" and greater than national importance. As of February 2001, it was one of 23 Grade I listed buildings, and 960 listed buildings of all grades, in Arun district.
The present ecclesiastical parish of Walberton has slightly different boundaries from the ancient parish. It lies north of the railway line
between Ford and Barnham, and extends beyond the A27 road in the north. As well as Walberton village, it covers the smaller settlements of Fontwell, Avisford and Slindon Common. Administratively, the church has been part of a joint benefice with St Mary's Church in neighbouring Binsted since 1929.
Walberton
Walberton is a village and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. It is located five miles to the north-west of Littlehampton, and is situated south of the A27 road. Located on the southernmost slopes of the South Downs the civil parish covers an area of and has a population...
in the district of Arun
Arun
Arun is a local government district in West Sussex, England. It contains the towns of Arundel, Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, and takes its name from the River Arun, which runs through the centre of the district.-History:...
, one of seven local government districts in the English county of West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
. Its 11th-century origins are now mostly hidden behind the results of extensive restoration
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
work undertaken since the 18th century; but some Saxon-era
Anglo-Saxon architecture
Anglo-Saxon architecture was a period in the history of architecture in England, and parts of Wales, from the mid-5th century until the Norman Conquest of 1066. Anglo-Saxon secular buildings in Britain were generally simple, constructed mainly using timber with thatch for roofing...
fragments remain, and reused Roman building materials can still be seen in the walls. The extensive collection of 18th-century gravestones
Headstone
A headstone, tombstone, or gravestone is a marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. In most cases they have the deceased's name, date of birth, and date of death inscribed on them, along with a personal message, or prayer.- Use :...
in the churchyard includes some especially macabre examples. English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
has listed the church at Grade I for its architectural and historical importance.
History
The ancient parish of Walberton, which incorporated Fontwell and Avisford, covered more than 1750 acres (708.2 ha) of mostly flat, gravelly land about 3 miles (4.8 km) west-southwest of ArundelArundel
Arundel is a market town and civil parish in the South Downs of West Sussex in the south of England. It lies south southwest of London, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester. Other nearby towns include Worthing east southeast, Littlehampton to the south and Bognor Regis to...
and 8 miles (12.9 km) east of the county town
County town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
of Chichester
Chichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
. The village of Walberton, the largest settlement, developed to the southwest of the main routes through the parish—the east–west Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
between Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
and Chichester (now the A27 road
A27 road
The A27 is a major road in England. It runs from its junction with the A36 at Whiteparish in the county of Wiltshire. It closely parallels the south coast, where it passes through West Sussex and terminates at Pevensey in East Sussex.Between Portsmouth and Lewes, it is one of the busiest trunk...
) and the north-south route between Madehurst
Madehurst
Madehurst is a small village and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. It is located four miles to the north-west of Arundel, to the west of the A29 road. The civil parish covers an area of 765.96ha and has a population of 105 persons .The village of Madehurst is situated...
and Yapton
Yapton
Yapton is a village and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. It is three miles to the north-west of Bognor Regis at the intersection of the B2132 and B2233 roads...
.
A church was recorded at the time of the Domesday survey
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
in 1086; it had a permanent priest at that time, indicating its importance. It was a simple two-cell building with a nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
. The west wall of the nave was built almost entirely of rubble and stones salvaged from Roman-era
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
sites nearby, and had brick quoin
Quoin (architecture)
Quoins are the cornerstones of brick or stone walls. Quoins may be either structural or decorative. Architects and builders use quoins to give the impression of strength and firmness to the outline of a building...
s. The lord of the manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
granted the advowson
Advowson
Advowson is the right in English law of a patron to present or appoint a nominee to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a process known as presentation. In effect this means the right to nominate a person to hold a church office in a parish...
of the church to the abbey at Lessay
Lessay
Lessay is a commune in the Manche department in north-western France.-History:It was originally founded as a monastery but a town grew up around it over the years. The 10th century monastery is one of the greatest examples of Romanesque architecture in Normandy...
, France, in 1105. The abbey was associated with the priory at Boxgrove
Boxgrove Priory
Boxgrove Priory, in the village of Boxgrove in Sussex, was founded in about 1066 by Robert de Haye, who in 1105 bestowed the church of St. Mary of Boxgrove upon the Benedictine Abbey of Lessay. In about 1126 upon the marriage of Robert's daughter Cecily, to Roger St...
, a few miles from Walberton; the priory controlled it from about 1174 until the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
in 1536.
The first structural change came in the 12th century, when the east end of the nave was given arcades, each with two bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
, on the north and south sides. These aisles are not homogeneous in style—almost every column and arch is a different width or height—suggesting that they were built over a long period of time, possibly even extending into the 13th century. The chancel was rebuilt in the 13th century; this work made it wider than the nave. Lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
s were added at the same time. A porch was added on the north side at the same time; it also has lancets, and is considered a rare example.
The chancel arch was replaced in the 14th century, and a new roof was added to the nave a century later. It formed an unbroken roofline across the nave and aisles, which was possible because the church lacked a clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
. A new west window was added at the same time, along with some other windows.
The fortunes of the church declined in the 17th and 18th centuries, and repair work had to be carried out several times, including to the roof and the south aisle (which was completely rebuilt). In the 19th century, the porch, chancel, belfry
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
and the relatively new gallery were all altered, and the Saxon-era west entrance door was blocked. Despite all this work, yet more repairs were needed by the start of the 20th century: the nave was in danger of collapse—possibly because of the earlier work on the belfry, which had some of its supporting timberwork removed. A wholesale restoration was paid for by public donations; the architect Richard Creed was commissioned. His work, which was very extensive and eliminated almost all pre-Norman elements, has been criticised as "clumsy" and even "mulish". The nave and aisles were transformed, buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es were added to support the west wall of the nave, the belfry was given a new supporting structure, and the chancel and nave roofs were relaid again.
The churchyard is large and has a wide variety of gravestones and rarer wooden graveboards from the 18th century onwards. The carvings on gravestones of that era are often gruesome, in Sussex and elsewhere, and at Walberton there are three examples detailing their victims' causes of death. The earliest, commemorating the death in 1767 of Charles Cook, is also the most prominent because of its remarkably good condition. The white slab shows Cook crushed under a fallen tree, watched by a laughing skeleton to the left, a hat-wearing man (who is holding an axe) and Father Time
Father Time
Father Time is usually depicted as an elderly bearded man, somewhat worse for wear, dressed in a robe, carrying a scythe and an hourglass or other timekeeping device...
(carrying his traditional scythe
Scythe
A scythe is an agricultural hand tool for mowing grass, or reaping crops. It was largely replaced by horse-drawn and then tractor machinery, but is still used in some areas of Europe and Asia. The Grim Reaper is often depicted carrying or wielding a scythe...
and hourglass
Hourglass
An hourglass measures the passage of a few minutes or an hour of time. It has two connected vertical glass bulbs allowing a regulated trickle of material from the top to the bottom. Once the top bulb is empty, it can be inverted to begin timing again. The name hourglass comes from historically...
) to the right, and a company of trumpet-playing angels above. Such imagery was often used on ancient gravestones because not everybody could read.
Elsewhere in the churchyard, the 1st Earl of Woolton, Minister of Food
Minister of Food
The Minister of Food Control and the Minister of Food were British government ministerial posts separated from that of the Minister of Agriculture. A major task of the latter office was to oversee rationing in the United Kingdom arising out of World War II...
during the Second World War, is buried; he lived at Walberton House, the former manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
. A large stone coffin was found in the ground in front of the north porch in 1834; it may be of Saxon origin. It is now displayed inside the church. A lychgate was added at the churchyard entrance in the 20th century.
St Mary's Church opened a mission hall in Fontwell village in 1930. This closed about 30 years later.
Architecture
The church is a mostly flintFlint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
structure with some ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
and brickwork. It has a chancel, nave with north and south aisles, porch, tiled roof, and a shingled
Roof shingle
Roof shingles are a roof covering consisting of individual overlapping elements. These elements are typically flat rectangular shapes laid in rows from the bottom edge of the roof up, with each successive higher row overlapping the joints in the row below...
spire which sits on top of the weatherboarded
Weatherboarding
Weatherboarding is the cladding or ‘siding’ of a house consisting of long thin timber boards that overlap one another, either vertically or horizontally on the outside of the wall. They are usually of rectangular section with parallel sides...
belfry. Part of the nave has been converted into a vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
and other rooms. The entrance door at the west end is now the only part of the church where any pre-Norman masonry can be seen. The 13th-century chancel retains its original lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
s, but other windows elsewhere in the church were renewed in the 15th century. Many have since been replaced. The windows in the north porch have trefoil
Trefoil
Trefoil is a graphic form composed of the outline of three overlapping rings used in architecture and Christian symbolism...
openings at the top. The nave roof had a Saxon cross-gable until the restorations of 1903.
The belfry and its framework are typical of the Chichester area. It holds six bells, three of which were added in 1903; the others were cast between the 16th and 18th centuries but were remade as part of Creed's restoration. Other interior features include the Saxon stone coffin, which is displayed beneath the west window; an ancient stone font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
which was discovered in a field; a marble and iron burial vault for a local family; and a memorial stone to a previous vicar, which was carved by Sussex sculptor
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
Eric Gill
Eric Gill
Arthur Eric Rowton Gill was a British sculptor, typeface designer, stonecutter and printmaker, who was associated with the Arts and Crafts movement...
.
The church today
St Mary's Church was listed at Grade I by English HeritageEnglish Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
on 5 June 1958. Such buildings are defined as being of "exceptional interest" and greater than national importance. As of February 2001, it was one of 23 Grade I listed buildings, and 960 listed buildings of all grades, in Arun district.
The present ecclesiastical parish of Walberton has slightly different boundaries from the ancient parish. It lies north of the railway line
West Coastway Line
The West Coastway Line is a railway line in England, along the south coast of West Sussex and Hampshire, between Brighton and Southampton, plus the short branches to Littlehampton and Bognor Regis....
between Ford and Barnham, and extends beyond the A27 road in the north. As well as Walberton village, it covers the smaller settlements of Fontwell, Avisford and Slindon Common. Administratively, the church has been part of a joint benefice with St Mary's Church in neighbouring Binsted since 1929.