ECCLESIASTICAL ARCHITECTURE 



of immensely old formation, belonging to the Eocene age, and prominently 

 associated with the Bracklesham beds of the Selsey peninsula although a 

 stone of the same formation is quarried as far away as Brussels. It has a 

 sponge-like appearance, being filled with small holes, and resembles the tufa 

 or travertine so largely employed by the Romans. Perhaps, owing to this 

 likeness, it was sought out and used by the early builders in this part of 

 Sussex ; and although its texture renders it unsuitable for delicate mouldings 

 and carving, it becomes exceedingly hard with exposure, and weathers very 

 well. It is found in most of the sea-coast churches, and for some distance 

 inland in the western part of Sussex, as at West Wittering, Bosham (pre- 

 . Conquest work), Singleton (pre-Conquest tower), South Bersted, Yapton, and 

 Sompting. In the last well-known pre-Conquest tower it is used for the 

 short stones in the ' long and short ' pilaster buttresses and strips. 



A hard white stone, close-grained and resembling Portland, is also found 

 in the pre-Conquest and other early work of the south-west part of the 

 county, as in Singleton, Eartham, Eastergate, and Barnham churches, and in 

 the earliest parts of Chichester Cathedral. It was probably brought from the 

 Isle of Wight. The stone used by Bishop Ralph Luffa for the building of 

 Chichester Cathedral was chiefly from other quarries in the Isle of Wight. 

 It is generally known as Binstead stone, and is easily distinguished by its 

 greenish colour and coarser texture from the Caen stone used by the late 

 twelfth- and early thirteenth-century builders. In the fourteenth century 

 another Isle of Wight stone from the quarries near Ventnor a green 

 sandstone of poor weathering qualities, and suitable only for walling and 

 large features, was imported for work at the cathedral. The detached bell- 

 tower is a prominent instance of its use. During the same century the 

 famous Beer freestone was also imported from Devonshire for use in Bishop 

 Stratford's Sacellum in Chichester Cathedral, and for other fine mason's 

 work. 



Chalk, quarried from the Downs that form so important a scenic and 

 geological feature of Sussex, is extensively used both for rubble and internal 

 dressings, and also for vaulting in the cathedral and many other churches. 

 The hard chalk-rag is employed for the walling of many churches, such 

 as Treyford, Elsted, Harting, and Easebourne, in the north-west corner of 

 the county, and in such churches clunch of excellent quality is found in use 

 for the dressed stonework. There is an instance of the use of clunch in 

 eleventh-century quoins at Hangleton, near the sea, in Mid-Sussex. The 

 delicate early fourteenth-century tracery of the east window at Sutton, near 

 Petworth, is in this material. Its marble-like surface, freedom in working, 

 and subsequent hardening in exposure, rendered it a very favourite material 

 with the masons. 



A green calcareous sandstone, closely resembling the firestones of Surrey, 

 appears in some West Sussex churches, such as Aldingbourne, where it is 

 used in alternating stones with the white clunch. Probably this has been 

 brought from under the deeper beds of chalk in the Downs at the back. 



The sandstone dug from the hills at and near Pulborough has been 

 extensively employed in the churches and other ancient buildings of that 

 neighbourhood. It is of various shades of brown, yellow, greyish-green, and 

 orange, and though it weathers well, has a rough and striated appearance 



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