St Botolph's Church, Botolphs

Last updated

St Botolph's Church
St Botolph,s Church from the west..jpg
St Botolph's Church from the west
St Botolph's Church, Botolphs
50°52′14″N0°18′18″W / 50.8704689°N 0.3050819°W / 50.8704689; -0.3050819 Coordinates: 50°52′14″N0°18′18″W / 50.8704689°N 0.3050819°W / 50.8704689; -0.3050819
LocationAnnington Rd, Botolphs, West Sussex, BN44 3WB
CountryUnited Kingdom
Denomination Church of England
Website www.3bsparish.co.uk
History
Former name(s)Church of St Peter de Vetere Ponte
Status Parish church
FoundedLate 11th century
Dedication St Botolph
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designation Grade I
Designated15 March 1955
Style Saxon/Norman
Groundbreaking Late 11th century
Administration
Parish Beeding and Bramber with Botolphs
Deanery Rural Deanery of Storrington
Archdeaconry Horsham
Diocese Chichester
Province Canterbury

The Grade I listed Saxon church of St Botolph's at Botolphs, West Sussex, England, is situated in the valley of the River Adur and is now part of the Church of England parish of Beeding and Bramber with Botolphs. An earlier dedication to St Peter de Vetere Ponte (St Peter of the Old Bridge) is now lost, like the bridge over the Adur from which it took this ancient name. [1] The church serves the mostly depopulated hamlet of Botolphs in the Horsham district of West Sussex. The church has fragments of medieval wall paintings. Architectural historian Ian Nairn comments that the Jacobean pulpit is "notable in a county which is poor in 17th century fittings". [2]

Contents

History

The parish of Botolphs came into existence in the Saxon era as one of several long, narrow divisions of land on the southern slopes of the South Downs near the River Adur, which reached the English Channel at the port of Shoreham. Like neighbouring Beeding and Bramber, Botolphs' territory stretched for about 2 miles (3.2 km) from west to east. [3] [4] At the time of the Domesday survey in 1086, the manor of Hanyngedune was known; it was first named in 956, when King Eadwig gave it away, and the area it covered was identical to the later parish of Botolphs. [3] [5]

The lie of the land meant that two settlements developed separately in the parish: there were two areas of high ground rising from a flood-prone alluvial plain. [3] Some flint cottages were built around Annington manor house and its farm, [2] [3] and a few others were clustered around the church. The latter settlement was known as Old Bridge before acquiring the name Botolphs, and both the name and archaeological evidence (in the form of Roman-era masonry found in the fields) suggest that the church was built near the site of the now vanished bridge over the river. [3] [6] [7]

The Domesday survey mentioned a church at Annington as well as the manor house, [3] [5] and architectural evidence suggests that St Botolph's Church is of Saxon origin—confirming that only one church served the parish, [2] [8] rather than each settlement having its own place of worship as was once believed. [5] The dedication to St Botolph is thought to be original; but around the time of the Norman conquest the church was officially rededicated to St Peter de Vetere Ponte (meaning St Peter of the Old Bridge). In 1254, the dedication to St Botolph reappeared in print, and the two names were used interchangeably for a period as use of the old name was maintained by locals. [5] By the 15th century, the newer dedication to St Peter fell out of use. [3] Another historic dedication, to St Mary, has also been suggested. [7] The existence of another St Peter's Church at nearby Beeding has been suggested as a reason for the dedication reverting to St Botolph. [9]

An old vicarage stands next to the church. Botolphs Church and Rectory - geograph.org.uk - 20234.jpg
An old vicarage stands next to the church.

The river Adur was originally navigable as far as Bramber; but the sea began to recede in about 1350, and the river silted up, after which the bridge at Botolphs fell into disuse and the village population declined. The crossing point had apparently been in use for about 1,000 years (as suggested by the Roman rubble found nearby), and when it was lost the village could no longer thrive. [9] In 1526 Botolphs was incorporated into Bramber parish. [3] [9] Structurally, the church expanded and contracted over the centuries in line with the changing population. In its original form, it was an aisleless building with nave and chancel. [3] In the 13th century, a tower was added; [2] and in about 1250 an aisle was added to the north side, separated from the nave by an arcade of three bays. [2] [5] The chancel was altered and new windows were inserted in the 14th century. The tower was equipped with a peal of three bells in 1536. [3] The aisle, which apparently housed a shrine to St Botolph, St Peter and Mary, [5] became dilapidated by the late 18th century as the population fell; it had been demolished by 1830, [3] leaving the three blank arches of the arcade on the north wall. [10]

A timber-framed vicarage existed by 1615. [11] It may date from the 14th century, and the building still stands next to the church—albeit with structural alteration. It was listed at Grade II on 9 May 1980. [12]

Architecture, fittings and setting

The church, with a prominently buttressed tower, stands in an isolated downland setting. Botolphs Church - geograph.org.uk - 20235.jpg
The church, with a prominently buttressed tower, stands in an isolated downland setting.

St Botolph's Church is in "a peaceful spot" [7] next to the River Adur, although the former Beeding Cement Works and the Shoreham–Horsham railway line were both a short distance away on the other side of the river (both have ceased operating). [7] Writing in 1932, one historian noted that interest in the church and its similarly isolated neighbour at Coombes had been reinvigorated by the building of a new road along the river between Steyning and the coast, which encouraged visitors to come to the "little lost Down[land] churches". [1] The church was less well regarded in the Victorian era: one 19th-century writer dismissed it as "small and uninteresting". [7] Ian Nairn considered it "simple and mellow", [2] while others have praised the "clean lines [and] perfect setting" [9] of the "small, attractive church". [13]

The church has a modern Tapsel gate. Tapsel gate at Botolphs church, West Sussex.jpg
The church has a modern Tapsel gate.

The nave and chancel are Saxon, but their date is unknown. [8] The nave has long and narrow Saxon proportions of about 55 feet 6 inches (16.92 m) long by 17 feet 6 inches (5.33 m) wide by the interior measure. At the west end of the south wall is an original round-headed Saxon window. The south doorway is 17th century, with a modern porch. [8] The chancel is about 16 feet (4.9 m) long and 10 feet (3.0 m) wide on the interior. [14] The chancel arch is of one order with the late Saxon feature of a soffit roll. [15]

The three-bay north aisle added in about 1250 [15] had a three-arched arcade. By the early 19th century the arches were filled in and the aisle was demolished—evidence of the declining population and importance of Botolphs, which had become a shrunken medieval settlement with only a few surviving houses. [3] [13] The remains of the pointed arches are a prominent feature of the north wall. [9]

Traces of the wall paintings were recorded in 1897. When examined in about 1932 they were thought to be from a "Doom" scheme of painting, including depictions of St John and the Virgin Mary with a bishop. However, only a few indistinct patches are visible today. [3]

The pulpit "almost certainly dates from 1630" and was formerly painted blue. [16] It is covered with incised abstract patterns. [2]

One of the three 1536 bells commemorates the old dedication to St Peter with the inscription "Sancte Petre ora pro nobis". [17]

A modern Tapsel gate dating from 2003 links the churchyard to an adjacent civil burial ground, operated jointly by the three civil parish councils of Bramber, Upper Beeding, and Steyning. The Rector of Botolphs sits (ex officio) on the Joint Parishes Burial Board, and an annual memorial service for the council burial ground in held in the church. The tapsel gate was funded by the joint parish councils to facilitate the use of the church by visitors to the burial ground. It was officially opened and dedicated early in 2004 by the Bishop of Horsham.

The church today

St Botolph's Church is administratively linked to St Nicholas' Church at Bramber. St Nicholas' Church, Bramber (IoE Code 298337).jpg
St Botolph's Church is administratively linked to St Nicholas' Church at Bramber.

The church was listed at Grade I on 15 March 1955. [18] Such buildings are defined as being of "exceptional interest" and greater than national importance. [19] As of February 2001, it was one of 38 Grade I listed buildings, and 1,726 listed buildings of all grades, in the district of Horsham. [20]

The advowson (the right to appoint clergy) has been held by the Bishop of Chichester since 1953, along with that of St Nicholas' Church at Bramber with which it has been united since 1526, [11] and St Peter's Church in Beeding with which it has been united since 1987. The three churches now form a single ecclesiastical parish, with one parochial church council. The advowson had originally been held by Sele Priory at nearby Beeding; this was linked to the Abbey Church of St Florent at Saumur in Normandy, to which the church belonged at the time of the Domesday survey. Most of the priory's holdings, including the advowson, were transferred to Magdalen College at the University of Oxford in the late 15th century, and except for a few years from 1475 this institution nominated the rector until 1953, when the right of presentation was voluntarily surrendered to the Bishop of Chichester. [3] [11]

Currently, one Sunday service is held monthly, on the evening of the first Sunday of each month. Other services are held at the other two churches in the parish—at Bramber and Upper Beeding. [21] The joint parish, which serves about 5,000 people in the three villages and the surrounding rural area, was officially created in 1987 from the merger of Bramber-cum-Botolphs and Beeding parishes. [22] Births, marriages and deaths in the parish since 1601 are recorded in the parish registers. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

Bramber Human settlement in England

Bramber is a former manor, village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It has a ruined mediaeval castle which was the caput of a large feudal barony. Bramber is located on the northern edge of the South Downs and on the west side of the River Adur. Nearby are the communities of Steyning to the west and Upper Beeding to the east, and the other side of the river. The closest historical connection, however, is with the village of Botolphs to the south.

Kingston by Sea, also known as Kingston Buci, Kingston Bucii or simply Kingston, is a small area in the Adur district of West Sussex, England. Although it is now part of a continuous urban area, its origins lay in an ancient village and parish church between Southwick to the east, Shoreham-by-Sea to the west and the mouth of the River Adur to the south. St Julian's Church survives, and its parish perpetuates the ancient "Kingston Buci" name.

Botolphs Human settlement in England

Botolphs, formerly known as Annington, is a tiny village in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It is in the Adur Valley 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southeast of Steyning on the road between Steyning and Coombes. Botolphs lies on the South Downs Way long-distance footpath. At the 2011 Census the population of the village is included in the civil parish of Bramber.

St Peters Church, Ardingly Church in West Sussex , England

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 designated a Grade I Listed building.

Church of St Mary the Blessed Virgin, Sompting Church in West Sussex , United Kingdom

The Church of St Mary the Blessed Virgin, also known as St Mary the Virgin Church and St Mary's Church, is the Church of England parish church of Sompting in the Adur district of West Sussex. It stands on a rural lane north of the urban area that now surrounds the village, and retains much 11th- and 12th-century structure. Its most important architectural feature is the Saxon tower topped by a Rhenish helm, a four-sided pyramid-style gabled cap that is uncommon in England. English Heritage lists the church at Grade I for its architecture and history.

St Julians Church, Kingston Buci Church in West Sussex , England

St Julian's Church is an Anglican church in Kingston Buci in the district of Adur, one of seven local government districts in the English county of West Sussex. Kingston Buci was a Saxon-era village near the English Channel coast between Southwick and Shoreham-by-Sea; little remains from that period, and modern residential development has obscured the old boundaries between the settlements, but the church retains its mostly 13th-century appearance and serves a parish which retains the ancient Kingston Buci name. English Heritage has listed it at Grade I for its architectural and historical importance.

St Michael and All Angels Church, Southwick Church in West Sussex , England

St Michael and All Angels Church is an Anglican church in the town of Southwick in the district of Adur, one of seven local government districts in the English county of West Sussex. Some Saxon-era structural work is still visible despite rebuilding work in the 12th and 13th centuries and in more recent times; and a church may have existed on the site as early as the 10th century—before the ancient settlement of Southwick even took that name. The church has been damaged by fire and bombing, but is still in active use as the area's parish church. English Heritage has listed it at Grade II* for its architectural and historical importance.

St Mary de Haura Church, Shoreham-by-Sea Church in West Sussex , England

St Mary de Haura Church is an Anglican church in the ancient "New Shoreham" area of Shoreham-by-Sea in the district of Adur, one of seven local government districts in the English county of West Sussex. It was founded at the end of the 11th century as a large cruciform church which, due to its original scale, has been described as a collegiate church—a reflection of the port of Shoreham's importance at the time. The former east end of that building survives to form the present church, and much 12th-century work remains. It functions as Shoreham-by-Sea's "town church" for major religious and social events, as well as serving as the town-centre parish. English Heritage has listed it at Grade I for its architectural and historical importance.

St Nicolas Church, Shoreham-by-Sea Church in West Sussex , England

St Nicolas Church is an Anglican church in Old Shoreham, an ancient inland settlement that is now part of the town of Shoreham-by-Sea in the district of Adur, one of seven local government districts in the English county of West Sussex. It was founded on a riverside site by Anglo-Saxons at the start of the 10th century, possibly on the site of a 5th-century predecessor. Some Saxon-era structural elements remain despite 12th-century additions made when Shoreham became prosperous, further extension in the 14th century and a Victorian restoration. The cruciform structure, with its solid central tower, features some unusual Norman-era carving. English Heritage has listed it at Grade I for its architectural and historical importance.

Erringham chapel Historic site in West Sussex, United Kingdom

Erringham chapel is a former place of worship in the deserted medieval village of Old Erringham, north of Shoreham-by-Sea in the district of Adur, one of seven local government districts in the English county of West Sussex. Founded in the 11th century as a chapel of ease to St Nicolas' Church in the Saxon riverside village of Old Shoreham, it was in use for several centuries until depopulation caused Old Erringham to become unviable as a settlement. The chapel fell into ruin, and its remains have been incorporated into a barn on the farm which now occupies the site of the village. English Heritage has listed the remaining structure at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance.

Coombes Church Church in West Sussex , England

Coombes Church is a Church of England parish church in the rural hamlet of Coombes in the Adur District of West Sussex, England. It has served the rural parish, northwest of Shoreham-by-Sea and next to the River Adur, since the 11th century. Despite several re-buildings, some structural elements remain from that period. An important series of wall paintings, dating from the 12th to the 18th century, were uncovered in 1949. English Heritage has listed the church at Grade I for its architectural and historical importance.

St Peters Church, Shoreham-by-Sea Historic site in West Sussex , England

The name St Peter's Church has been borne by two Roman Catholic churches in the town of Shoreham-by-Sea in the district of Adur, in the English county of West Sussex. The original church with that dedication was the town's first permanent Roman Catholic place of worship; founded in 1875, it was paid for by Augusta, Duchess of Norfolk, a member of the most important Dukedom in England. After its closure, a new St Peter's Church was built nearby. The old building, which still stands and is in residential use, has been listed by English Heritage at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance.

St James the Less Church, Lancing Church in West Sussex , United Kingdom

St James the Less Church is the Anglican parish church of Lancing, an ancient village which has been absorbed into the modern town of Lancing in the district of Adur, one of seven local government districts in the English county of West Sussex. It was founded in the 12th century in the most northerly of the three settlements in Lancing parish, which has Saxon origins. The present building is mostly 13th-century in appearance, and structural work has been carried out several times since—particularly in the 18th and 19th centuries, when the church was restored from a ruinous condition. English Heritage has listed the church at Grade I for its architectural and historical importance.

St Botolphs Church, Heene Church in West Sussex , England

St Botolph's Church is an Anglican church in the Heene area of the borough of Worthing, one of seven local government districts in the English county of West Sussex. It had 11th-century origins as a chapelry within the parish of West Tarring, but declined and fell into disuse by the 18th century. Neighbouring Worthing's rapid development as a seaside resort in the 19th century encouraged residential growth around the ancient village of Heene, and a new church with the same dedication was built to serve both Heene and the high-class planned estate of West Worthing. Edmund Scott's Early English Gothic-style church stands next to the fragmentary ruins of the old church, which are listed separately at Grade II.

All Saints Church, Buncton Church in West Sussex , United Kingdom

All Saints Church is an Anglican church in the hamlet of Buncton in the district of Horsham, one of seven local government districts in the English county of West Sussex. Built in the 11th or 12th century as a small chapel of ease to a nearby parish church, and hardly changed or restored since, the stone chapel stands behind a "delightful ... wooded ravine" beneath the South Downs and has been called "a real piece of hidden Sussex". The chancel arch, between the nave and chancel which made up the simple two-room building, had a bizarre 12th-century carving of a person of indeterminate sex exposing their genitalia—until 2004, when an unknown vandal destroyed it with a chisel. The church is still used for Christian worship, and English Heritage has listed it at Grade I for its architectural and historical importance. The church is also known as Buncton Chapel.

St John the Baptists Church, Clayton Church in West Sussex , United Kingdom

St John the Baptist's Church is the Church of England parish church of the village of Clayton in Mid Sussex District, one of seven local government districts in the English county of West Sussex. The small and simple Anglo-Saxon building is distinguished by its "remarkable" and extensive set of wall paintings, dating from the early 12th century and rediscovered more than 700 years later. Much of the structural work of the church is 11th-century and has had little alteration. The church, which stands in the middle of a large churchyard and serves the small village of Clayton at the foot of the South Downs, is part of a joint parish with the neighbouring village of Keymer—an arrangement which has existed informally for centuries and which was legally recognised in the 20th century. English Heritage has listed the church at Grade I for its architectural and historical importance.

St Botolphs Church, Hardham Church in West Sussex , United Kingdom

St Botolph's Church is the Church of England parish church of Hardham, West Sussex. It is in Horsham District and is a Grade I listed building. It contains the earliest nearly complete series of wall paintings in England. Among forty individual subjects is the earliest known representation of St. George in England. Dating from the 12th century, they were hidden from view until uncovered in 1866 and now "provide a rare and memorable impression of a medieval painted interior". The simple two-cell stone building, with its original medieval whitewashed exterior, has seen little alteration and also has an ancient bell.

St Marys Church, West Chiltington Church in West Sussex , United Kingdom

St Mary's Church is the Grade I listed Anglican parish church of West Chiltington, a village in the Horsham district of West Sussex, England. The 12th-century building, described as a "showpiece" and "the most attractive part" of the Wealden village, retains many features of historical and architectural interest. These include an exceptionally long hagioscope or squint from the south aisle into the chancel, a porch which may be Sussex's oldest, and a well preserved and extensive scheme of wall paintings. In the Sussex volume of The Buildings of England, Ian Nairn says that the appearance of the church gives "a very happy, unexpected effect, like a French village church".

St Mary Magdalenes Church, Bolney Church in West Sussex, United Kingdom

St Mary Magdalene's Church is an Anglican church in the village of Bolney in Mid Sussex, one of seven local government districts in the English county of West Sussex. The parish church, which is dedicated to Jesus' companion Mary Magdalene, serves a large rural parish centred on a village straddling the ancient London–Brighton road and apparently dates from about 1100, and an older origin has been suggested. Many structural additions have been made over the centuries—including a tower built solely using the labour of villagers—and at the entrance to the churchyard is a "magnificent" 20th-century lychgate made of local materials including Sussex Marble. The church is protected as a Grade I Listed building.

References

  1. 1 2 Arnold 1932 , p. 731.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Nairn & Pevsner 1965 , p. 113.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Hudson, T. P., ed. (1980). "A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 1 – Bramber Rape (Southern Part). Botolphs". Victoria County History of Sussex. British History Online. pp. 195–199. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
  4. ↑ Hudson, T. P., ed. (1980). "A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 1 – Bramber Rape (Southern Part). Bramber: Steyning, Bramber, and Botolphs c.1960 (map)". Victoria County History of Sussex. British History Online. pp. 200–214. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Arnold 1932 , p. 732.
  6. ↑ Arnold 1932 , pp. 731–732.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Wales 1999 , p. 36.
  8. 1 2 3 Fisher 1970 , p. 63.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Coppin 2006 , p. 106.
  10. ↑ Salter 2000 , p. 87.
  11. 1 2 3 Hudson, T. P., ed. (1980). "A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 1 – Bramber Rape (Southern Part). Bramber". Victoria County History of Sussex. British History Online. pp. 200–214. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
  12. ↑ Historic England. "Vicarage Cottage, Botolphs, Bramber, Horsham, West Sussex (1027460)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  13. 1 2 Beevers, Marks & Roles 1989 , p. 148.
  14. ↑ Fisher 1970 , p. 64.
  15. 1 2 Fisher 1970 , p. 65.
  16. ↑ Allen 2010
  17. ↑ Unknown author n.d. , p. 7.
  18. ↑ Historic England. "Church of St Botolph, Botolphs, Bramber, Horsham, West Sussex (1191927)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  19. ↑ "Listed Buildings". Historic England.
  20. ↑ "Images of England – Statistics by County (West Sussex)". Images of England . English Heritage. 2007. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  21. ↑ "St Botolph, Botolphs". A Church Near You website. Archbishops' Council. 2010. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
  22. ↑ "Beeding and Bramber with Botolphs". A Church Near You website. Archbishops' Council. 2009. Retrieved 8 August 2011.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.