The Parish Church of All Saints

Details

1080/31/141

EAST DEAN
NEWHOUSE LANE
The Parish Church of All Saints

05-JUN-58

(Formerly listed as The Parish Church of St Simon & St Jude)

I
Church. C12 & C13, with some C14 windows, restored in 1870. Tower, transepts and chancel of c1150 and C13 nave. The south porch is C19 and the exterior was refaced, many window had the stonework renewed and the nave and transept roof were replaced at this time. Built of flint with stone dressings and tiled roofs.

PLAN: Cruciform with Nave of five bays, chancel, transepts, central tower (which originally had a spire) and south porch.

EXTERIOR: Central tower of two stages, re-quoined on the south with two-light lancets with central column to the bell stage, gargoyle on the east side and later crenellated parapet. The west end of the nave has a two-light arched window with trefoil above and diagonal buttresses. The north side of the nave retains the outline of the arch to a north aisle (perhaps never completed) and a blocked arched doorway below, two trefoil lancets and a two-light trefoil headed window with quatrefoil above. The south side has a lancet window flanked by a buttress and below the gabled C19 south porch is the south doorway, Transitional c.1200, with two orders of roll-mouldings and pairs of joint-shafts. The east windows of the gabled transepts are of c1300 (N) and c1350 (S), the north transept an arched window with triple trefoil-headed window, the south transept a triple arched window with reticulated tracery. Built in to the east wall of the south transept is a C17 tombstone of Sussex marble to a blacksmith, William Peachy who was a noted maker of swords for Cromwell's officers. The chancel has a c1200 lancet window on each side, diagonal buttresses and triple lancet east window.

INTERIOR: The nave has a C19 roof with tie-beams and arched braces with trefoil inserts, C19 pews and hexagonal wooden pulpit. The nave north wall retains a chalk clunch arch to a c1250 north aisle which was perhaps not completed. The windows in the transepts and nave all have original openings with most of the stonework renewed except for the east window of the north transept and the east window of the south transept which are in their original C14 condition. The north transept has an oak cupboard of the time of Charles II. Old rere-arches but the plain chamfered crossing arches have been altered. The tower has massive oak beams inscribed "IG - 1655 - TC" (initials of church wardens) holding three bells, one of c1570 engraved HAL MARI FUL OF GRAS (Hail Mary full of grace), another dated 1634, recast 1969 and the third 1702 9 cast by clement Tosiar). Octagonal stone font on an upturned scalloped C12 capital base which may have come from Boxgrove Priory retaining sawn off iron staples used to lock the font against the theft of holy water used in witchcraft. Carved font cover probably C17. The chancel walls slope internally and the roof is original, arch braced with collars. The low window on the south side suggests an anchorite cell was once attached.

Despite some c1870 alterations this is a substantially Medieval cruciform church with impressive central tower.

[Ian Nairn and Nikolaus Pevsner "The Buildings of England: Sussex" pp213-4.
Church guidebook by Rev John H Bishop and Mrs E Bury. 1962.]

Listing NGR: SU9053113197

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

300839

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Nairn, I, The Buildings of England: Sussex, (1965), 213-214

End of official list entry

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