St Peter's Church, Ardingly
Encyclopedia
St Peter's Church is the Church of England parish church
of the parish of Ardingly
in Mid Sussex
, one of seven local government districts in the English
county of West Sussex
. The present building dates from the 14th century and was restored during the Victorian era
, but Christian worship on the site has a much longer history. The stone-built, Decorated Gothic-style church, west of the village centre, has been listed at Grade I by English Heritage
for its architectural and historical importance.
, when a forest clearing (leah in Old English) was created on a piece of high ground near a tributary
of the River Ouse
, which runs across this part of the Weald
. The area cleared for settlement included a hill 398 feet (121.3 m) high, and the Normans
founded a church on this site in the 11th century. (It is possible, although not confirmed, that this replaced an earlier church on the same site, which would have been founded by Saxon or pre-Saxon pig-farmers or ironworkers who travelled through the area. More than 150 such churches, usually of wood with thatched roofs, were built between the 7th century, when Sussex
was converted to Christianity, and the Norman era.) William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey
has been identified as the likely founder of the 11th-century church. His son, William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey
, granted the advowson
of the church to Lewes Priory
in about 1100.
Little is known about the history of the Norman church. By the middle of the 14th century, the village had developed a successful wool trade, and the new wealth available led to the construction of a new church on the same site. This had a nave
with one aisle on the south side and a chancel
. It was built between about 1330 and 1350, in the popular Decorated Gothic style, and almost all traces of its 11th-century predecessor were removed. The lower section of the tower also dates from the mid-14th century, as does a tomb in the chancel which bears the (now damaged) effigy
of a priest. The priest has a lion couchant at his feet, representing the triumph of good over evil.
The substantial stone tower was built early in the 15th century. Unusually for the area, it lacks a spire; this may be because it was used as a defensive structure against possible French invaders, or because its top was used as a fire-beacon to warn locals of invasion. It is 50 feet (15.2 m) tall, square (12 by 12 ft (3.7 by 3.7 m)) and has walls 4 feet (1.2 m) thick. Inside the tower, and contemporary with it, an oak staircase carved from large blocks of wood rises from the north wall.
The English Reformation
of the 1530s led to Henry VIII
assuming control of all property held by England's monasteries and priories
. The advowson
of St Peter's Church, and all others held by Lewes Priory, was transferred to the King in 1535. He in turn granted the patronage to his chief minister, Thomas Cromwell
, who held it until he was beheaded in 1540. It finally passed out of the Crown's
possession in 1550, and passed through a series of private patrons (many of whom were associated with the nearby Manor of Wakehurst
) until the Church Pastoral Aid Society
assumed the patronage in 1925.
By 1724, when the Bishop of Chichester
Thomas Bowers commissioned a survey of all churches in his diocese, St Peter's Church was in poor structural condition, but repairs were carried out soon afterwards. A new bell, cast in 1719 in nearby Horsham
, was installed in the tower at the same time. Another, cast in London and paid for by the congregation, was added in 1766. Around this time, the Lydell family—owners of the Wakehurst Place estate and patrons of the church—built a burial vault in the church and turned the south aisle into their private chapel.
Restoration and refitting
of medieval churches was commonplace in the Victorian era
, and two rounds of changes were made to the structure and internal fittings: first in 1853, with some advice from Sir George Gilbert Scott
, and again in 1887. The ancient rood screen
was moved into the tower in 1853, the pew
s were replaced, and the pulpit and the gallery
were removed. These changes reduced the capacity of the church slightly, to just over 200. The rood screen was later moved again to cover the arch inside the tower, and the rector bought the church its first proper organ
, built by a Brighton
-based firm for £133 (£ as of ). This was in turn replaced with a new organ, which cost £1,100 (£ as of ), in 1887, during the main period of restoration
; the church was closed for about a year while Benjamin Ingelow and Richard Herbert Carpenter
added a vestry
, north aisle with 50 seats, pulpit and lectern, and carried out structural repairs. The capacity of the church rose to about 280 as a result of the improvements.
Ingelow and Carpenter's work uncovered a stone capital
which dated from the 12th century. It was retained and put on display in the north aisle, and is the only fragment that definitely survives from the Norman church—although some stone blocks incorporated into the wall of the south aisle may also have come from it.
Additions in the 20th century started with the liturgical East
window, a memorial to a local man who was prominent in the Wealden iron industry. This dates from 1900 and may have been designed by Charles Eamer Kempe
. Other stained glass was provided by the local firm Clayton & Bell. A new lychgate
, reredos
and altar were installed in 1913; all were donated to the church as memorials. Another new organ replaced its predecessor in 1939; this was in turn removed in 1972 in favour of a better model, which cost about £6,000 (£ as of ).
A large churchyard surrounds the church, but when this became full it was extended on to land on the opposite side of Church Lane, which was donated by the owner of Wakehurst Place. This extension, made in 1944, prevented the ancient gravestones in the original churchyard being removed to make way for new burials. As a result, many old and unusual gravestones survive, including one which depicts a woman being stabbed with a lance
by a skeleton
, as angels watch.
The chancel has hood-moulded
trefoil
ed windows in its liturgical North and South walls. Also in the south wall is an ornate priest's door with a pointed-arched head. A hood-moulded piscina
and aumbry
, both dating from when the church was built, are also visible on the chancel walls. An archway separates the chancel from the vestry, but there is no arch leading into the nave. The roof has king post
s inside. The outside walls are buttress
ed. Medieval stained glass
is still visible in some of the chancel windows.
The nave has two unequal bays
. Its roof, built higher than that of the chancel and dating from the 15th century, has tie beams
and king posts. The aisles incorporate reworkings of some 14th-century work (in particular, capitals and respond
s on the pillars) and may even include some older material.
The porch, dating from about 1500, forms the entrance to the church. It is timber-framed
, but most of this is hidden under weatherboarding
. The gabled roof, tiled with Horsham stone slabs in common with the rest of the church roof, has king posts inside. Next to the porch, on the wall of the south aisle, a 16th-century scratch dial, a primitive sundial
, is still visible.
The church holds two services every Sunday: a Holy Communion
service, using the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, and a Morning Worship service. A youth group and Sunday school
are also run.
The parish, 3811 acres (1,542.3 ha) in size and with the church at its centre, covers a mostly rural area: Ardingly is the only significant centre of population. The B2028 Edenbridge
–Haywards Heath
road runs through the parish from north to south.
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of the parish of Ardingly
Ardingly
Ardingly is a village and civil parish in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty about north of Haywards Heath in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England. The village is about south of London, south-south-west of East Grinstead, southeast of Crawley, north of Brighton and ...
in Mid Sussex
Mid Sussex
Mid Sussex is a local government district in the English county of West Sussex. It contains the towns of East Grinstead, Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill....
, one of seven local government districts in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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...
. The present building dates from the 14th century and was restored during the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
, but Christian worship on the site has a much longer history. The stone-built, Decorated Gothic-style church, west of the village centre, has been listed at Grade I by 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...
for its architectural and historical importance.
History
Ardingly developed as a settlement during the Saxon eraHistory of Anglo-Saxon England
Anglo-Saxon England refers to the period of the history of that part of Britain, that became known as England, lasting from the end of Roman occupation and establishment of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the 5th century until the Norman conquest of England in 1066 by William the Conqueror...
, when a forest clearing (leah in Old English) was created on a piece of high ground near a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the River Ouse
River Ouse, Sussex
The River Ouse is a river in the counties of West and East Sussex in England.-Course:The river rises near Lower Beeding and runs eastwards into East Sussex, meandering narrowly and turning slowly southward...
, which runs across this part of the Weald
Weald
The Weald is the name given to an area in South East England situated between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It should be regarded as three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in the centre; the clay "Low Weald" periphery; and the Greensand Ridge which...
. The area cleared for settlement included a hill 398 feet (121.3 m) high, and the Normans
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
founded a church on this site in the 11th century. (It is possible, although not confirmed, that this replaced an earlier church on the same site, which would have been founded by Saxon or pre-Saxon pig-farmers or ironworkers who travelled through the area. More than 150 such churches, usually of wood with thatched roofs, were built between the 7th century, when Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
was converted to Christianity, and the Norman era.) William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey
William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey
William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey, Seigneur de Varennes is one of the very few proven Companions of William the Conqueror known to have fought at the Battle of Hastings in 1066...
has been identified as the likely founder of the 11th-century church. His son, William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey
William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey
William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey was the son of William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey and his first wife Gundred. He is more often referred to as Earl Warenne or Earl of Warenne than as Earl of Surrey....
, 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 Lewes Priory
Lewes Priory
The Priory of St Pancras was the first Cluniac house in England and had one of the largest monastic churches in the country. It was set within an extensive walled and gated precinct laid out in a commanding location fronting the tidal shore-line at the head of the Ouse valley to the south of Lewes...
in about 1100.
Little is known about the history of the Norman church. By the middle of the 14th century, the village had developed a successful wool trade, and the new wealth available led to the construction of a new church on the same site. This had 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...
with one aisle on the south side and a 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...
. It was built between about 1330 and 1350, in the popular Decorated Gothic style, and almost all traces of its 11th-century predecessor were removed. The lower section of the tower also dates from the mid-14th century, as does a tomb in the chancel which bears the (now damaged) effigy
Effigy
An effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
of a priest. The priest has a lion couchant at his feet, representing the triumph of good over evil.
The substantial stone tower was built early in the 15th century. Unusually for the area, it lacks a spire; this may be because it was used as a defensive structure against possible French invaders, or because its top was used as a fire-beacon to warn locals of invasion. It is 50 feet (15.2 m) tall, square (12 by 12 ft (3.7 by 3.7 m)) and has walls 4 feet (1.2 m) thick. Inside the tower, and contemporary with it, an oak staircase carved from large blocks of wood rises from the north wall.
The English Reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
of the 1530s led to Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
assuming control of all property held by England's monasteries and priories
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...
. 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 St Peter's Church, and all others held by Lewes Priory, was transferred to the King in 1535. He in turn granted the patronage to his chief minister, Thomas Cromwell
Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex
Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex, , was an English statesman who served as chief minister of King Henry VIII of England from 1532 to 1540....
, who held it until he was beheaded in 1540. It finally passed out of the Crown's
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
possession in 1550, and passed through a series of private patrons (many of whom were associated with the nearby Manor of Wakehurst
Wakehurst Place Garden
Wakehurst Place is National Trust property located near Ardingly, West Sussex in the High Weald of southern England , comprising a late 16th century country house and a mainly 20th century garden, managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew...
) until the Church Pastoral Aid Society
Church Pastoral Aid Society
is an Anglican evangelical mission agency which works with a wide variety of churches across the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Its aim is to ‘enable churches to help every person hear and discover the good news of Jesus’. It provides a range of tools, training and resources to churches to develop...
assumed the patronage in 1925.
By 1724, when the Bishop of Chichester
Bishop of Chichester
The Bishop of Chichester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the Counties of East and West Sussex. The see is in the City of Chichester where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity...
Thomas Bowers commissioned a survey of all churches in his diocese, St Peter's Church was in poor structural condition, but repairs were carried out soon afterwards. A new bell, cast in 1719 in nearby Horsham
Horsham
Horsham is a market town with a population of 55,657 on the upper reaches of the River Arun in the centre of the Weald, West Sussex, in the historic County of Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester...
, was installed in the tower at the same time. Another, cast in London and paid for by the congregation, was added in 1766. Around this time, the Lydell family—owners of the Wakehurst Place estate and patrons of the church—built a burial vault in the church and turned the south aisle into their private chapel.
Restoration and refitting
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...
of medieval churches was commonplace in the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
, and two rounds of changes were made to the structure and internal fittings: first in 1853, with some advice from Sir George Gilbert Scott
George Gilbert Scott
Sir George Gilbert Scott was an English architect of the Victorian Age, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches, cathedrals and workhouses...
, and again in 1887. The ancient rood screen
Rood screen
The rood screen is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, or wrought iron...
was moved into the tower in 1853, the pew
Pew
A pew is a long bench seat or enclosed box used for seating members of a congregation or choir in a church, or sometimes in a courtroom.-Overview:Churches were not commonly furnished with permanent pews before the Protestant Reformation...
s were replaced, and the pulpit and the gallery
Balcony
Balcony , a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade.-Types:The traditional Maltese balcony is a wooden closed balcony projecting from a...
were removed. These changes reduced the capacity of the church slightly, to just over 200. The rood screen was later moved again to cover the arch inside the tower, and the rector bought the church its first proper organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, built by a 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...
-based firm for £133 (£ as of ). This was in turn replaced with a new organ, which cost £1,100 (£ as of ), in 1887, during the main period of 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...
; the church was closed for about a year while Benjamin Ingelow and Richard Herbert Carpenter
Richard Carpenter (architect)
Richard Herbert Carpenter was an eminent Victorian architect from England.Richard was born 1841 in St. Pancras, London, Middlesex, England and died in 1893...
added 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....
, north aisle with 50 seats, pulpit and lectern, and carried out structural repairs. The capacity of the church rose to about 280 as a result of the improvements.
Ingelow and Carpenter's work uncovered a stone capital
Capital (architecture)
In architecture the capital forms the topmost member of a column . It mediates between the column and the load thrusting down upon it, broadening the area of the column's supporting surface...
which dated from the 12th century. It was retained and put on display in the north aisle, and is the only fragment that definitely survives from the Norman church—although some stone blocks incorporated into the wall of the south aisle may also have come from it.
Additions in the 20th century started with the liturgical East
Cathedral diagram
In Western ecclesiastical architecture, a cathedral diagram is a floor plan showing the sections of walls and piers, giving an idea of the profiles of their columns and ribbing. Light double lines in perimeter walls indicate glazed windows. Dashed lines show the ribs of the vaulting overhead...
window, a memorial to a local man who was prominent in the Wealden iron industry. This dates from 1900 and may have been designed by Charles Eamer Kempe
Charles Eamer Kempe
Charles Eamer Kempe was a well-known Victorian stained glass designer. After attending Twyford School, he studied for the priesthood at Pembroke College, Oxford, but it became clear that his severe stammer would be an impediment to preaching...
. Other stained glass was provided by the local firm Clayton & Bell. A new lychgate
Lychgate
A lychgate, also spelled lichgate, lycugate, or as two separate words lych gate, is a gateway covered with a roof found at the entrance to a traditional English or English-style churchyard.-Name:...
, reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
and altar were installed in 1913; all were donated to the church as memorials. Another new organ replaced its predecessor in 1939; this was in turn removed in 1972 in favour of a better model, which cost about £6,000 (£ as of ).
A large churchyard surrounds the church, but when this became full it was extended on to land on the opposite side of Church Lane, which was donated by the owner of Wakehurst Place. This extension, made in 1944, prevented the ancient gravestones in the original churchyard being removed to make way for new burials. As a result, many old and unusual gravestones survive, including one which depicts a woman being stabbed with a lance
Lance
A Lance is a pole weapon or spear designed to be used by a mounted warrior. The lance is longer, stout and heavier than an infantry spear, and unsuited for throwing, or for rapid thrusting. Lances did not have tips designed to intentionally break off or bend, unlike many throwing weapons of the...
by a skeleton
Skeleton
The skeleton is the body part that forms the supporting structure of an organism. There are two different skeletal types: the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, and the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside the body.In a figurative sense, skeleton can...
, as angels watch.
Architecture
The church was built of stone in the Decorated Gothic style. The main body of the church consists of, from liturgical West to East, a square tower, nave, chancel and altar. A north aisle runs the length of the nave, and a vestry adjoins the chancel and the north aisle. On the opposite side of the nave is the south aisle and a 15th-century wooden entrance porch. The roof is tiled with locally quarried Horsham stone.The chancel has hood-moulded
Hood mould
In architecture, a hood mould, also called a label mould or dripstone, is an external moulded projection from a wall over an opening to throw off rainwater...
trefoil
Trefoil
Trefoil is a graphic form composed of the outline of three overlapping rings used in architecture and Christian symbolism...
ed windows in its liturgical North and South walls. Also in the south wall is an ornate priest's door with a pointed-arched head. A hood-moulded piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
and aumbry
Aumbry
In the Middle Ages an aumbry was a cabinet in the wall of a Christian church or in the sacristy which was used to store chalices and other vessels, as well as for the reserved sacrament, the consecrated elements from the Eucharist. This latter use was infrequent in pre-Reformation churches,...
, both dating from when the church was built, are also visible on the chancel walls. An archway separates the chancel from the vestry, but there is no arch leading into the nave. The roof has king post
King post
A king post is a central vertical supporting post used in architectural, bridge, or aircraft design applications.-Architecture:...
s inside. The outside walls are buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
ed. Medieval stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
is still visible in some of the chancel windows.
The nave has two unequal 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:...
. Its roof, built higher than that of the chancel and dating from the 15th century, has tie beams
Tie (engineering)
A tie, structural tie, connector, or structural connector is a structural component designed to resist tension. It is the opposite of a strut, which is designed to resist compression. Ties are generally made of galvanized steel...
and king posts. The aisles incorporate reworkings of some 14th-century work (in particular, capitals and respond
Respond
A respond is a half-pier or half-pillar which is bonded into a wall and designed to carry the springer at one end of an arch....
s on the pillars) and may even include some older material.
The porch, dating from about 1500, forms the entrance to the church. It is timber-framed
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
, but most of this is hidden under weatherboarding
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...
. The gabled roof, tiled with Horsham stone slabs in common with the rest of the church roof, has king posts inside. Next to the porch, on the wall of the south aisle, a 16th-century scratch dial, a primitive sundial
Sundial
A sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow from its style onto a surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day. The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, often a thin rod or a...
, is still visible.
The church today
St Peter's Church was listed at Grade I by English Heritage on 28 October 1957. Such buildings are defined as being of "exceptional interest" and greater than national importance. As of February 2001, it was one of 16 Grade I listed buildings, and 1,028 listed buildings of all grades, in the district of Mid Sussex.The church holds two services every Sunday: a Holy Communion
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
service, using the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, and a Morning Worship service. A youth group and Sunday school
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
are also run.
The parish, 3811 acres (1,542.3 ha) in size and with the church at its centre, covers a mostly rural area: Ardingly is the only significant centre of population. The B2028 Edenbridge
Edenbridge, Kent
Edenbridge is a town and civil parish in the Sevenoaks district of Kent, England. The town's name derives from Old English language "Eadhelmsbrigge" . It is located on the Kent/Surrey border on the upper floodplain of the River Medway and gives its name to the latter's tributary, the River Eden...
–Haywards Heath
Haywards Heath
-Climate:Haywards Heath experiences an oceanic climate similar to almost all of the United Kingdom.-Rail:Haywards Heath railway station is a major station on the Brighton Main Line...
road runs through the parish from north to south.