Details
NEWHAVEN
TQ4401SW CHURCH HILL
769-1/7/6 (East side)
20/05/49 Church of St Michael and All Angels
GV II*
Parish church. Norman tower and apse, broached spire added
subsequently, N aisle added c1795, aisle and nave lengthened
1810, vestry added 1825, S aisle and S-E porch erected 1854
when church refitted and W gallery built, west porch added
1961 and church restored. (The latter was then linked by a
covered walkway to the coeval flat-roofed church rooms - not
of special interest.) Mid C19 work by William Gilbert
Habershon. Knapped flint, stone dressings, cement render to
C19 window openings, tiled roofs, wooden shingled spire. Plan:
W porch, 5-bay nave, N and S aisles, S-E porch in angle with E
tower, apse on E face. Single-storey apse, pilaster buttresses
rising to dentil eaves, remains of string course with dentil
moulding below E end lancet window, later lancets to N and S
faces; 2-storey tower with broached spire, gargoyles on corbel
table below eaves, moulded string course upon which rests
2-lightbell-openings, the E window just above roof ridge of
apse, N window has original shaft with shaft ring. S-E porch
double doors with ornamental hinges; S front alternate lancets
and 2-light windows, W end with three 2-light windows and
single-storey porch entered on S front through glazed door,
bull's eye window on W front, buttressed N front with
butt-joint marking aisle extension, alternate lancet and
2-light windows, flat-roofed vestry with C20 arched-head
window.
Interior: rendered, nave and aisles mid C19. Open timber
tie-beam roofto S aisle, scissor-brace roof to N aisle,
moulded wall-plate toeastern bays of nave, possibly remaining
from earlier building. Timberposts to 5-bay Tudor-arch head
arcades with pierced quatrefoilspandrels. W face of tower
arch: plain round-arched opening with 2orders of columns
altered by inserted entablature, similar on outer faceto apse,
but inner faces roll-moulded and ornamented with
scallopedcapitals; unmoulded transverse beams to ceiling; S
tower windowround-arched head with deep splays, N window
larger and formerly adoor. Apse: window openings resting on
string course, pointed lancetsN and S, central round arch
lancet at east end with deep splays;simple crown-post roof on
tie-beam. Wooden organ gallery runs the lengthof the W end
with trefoil-headed arcade decoration. Organ by Batesand Son
of Ludgate Hill, London, c1854. Mid C19 fittings including
fontwith cover, pulpit, brass lecturn, elegant brass
gas-mantel brackets(converted to electricity), late C19
stained glass in apse and tower.Turned oak altar rails
presented 1961. A rare example of an E towerwith apsidal end.
This was the parish church of Meeching, set on thehillside
above the River Ouse; the river subsequently altered its
courseafter a great storm in 1570 and Meeching became Newhaven
with the growthof the port in the C17.
(Buildings of England: Nairn I: Sussex: 1965-; Anon: The
Parish Church of St Michael, Newhaven; Sussex Directory:
1895-).
Listing NGR: TQ4426101128