A HISTORY OF SUSSEX 



4. Churches with a flanking tower, i.e. on the north or south of the 

 nave, sometimes at the western, but more commonly at the eastern end of the 

 nave: Eleventh century: Eastdean (East Sussex). Twelfth century: West 

 Grinstead, Icklesham, Climping, Yapton, Goring (originally), Herstmonceux, 

 Stoughton, West Hampnett. Thirteenth century : Pevensey, Patching, Clapham, 

 Ashurst, Aldingbourne, West Wittering, Midhurst, Stedham, Pevensey, Little- 

 hampton (destroyed) , West Stoke, Willingdon. Fourteenth and fifteenth centuries: 

 Donnington, Wivelsfield, Warnham. Battle church had a mid-twelfth- 

 century transeptal tower on the south until the fifteenth century. 



5. Churches consisting of nave, central tower and chancel, without tran- 

 septs, but usually with aisles, arranged according to the date of the dominant 

 feature, the tower : Twelfth century : Shipley, Newhaven, Playden. Thir- 

 teenth century: Rottingdean, Kingston-by-Sea, East Dean (West Sussex), 

 Stedham (before restoration), Ditchling, Lancing. Fourteenth century: 

 Etchingham. 



6. Cruciform churches, with or without aisles, and nearly always having 

 a central tower. These cannot be classified strictly in order of date, but are 

 mostly early, the last three, however, being of the latter part of the four- 

 teenth century. Burpham, Climping, and Stoughton, which appear above, 

 belong to this class also. Chichester Cathedral, Sompting, and Worth (pre- 

 Conquest), Bramber, Old and New Shoreham, Boxgrove, North Stoke, 

 Burpham, Climping, Stoughton, Broadwater, Sidlesham, East Dean (West 

 Sussex), Horsted Keynes, Fletching, Ditchling, South Harting, Lindfield, 

 Rye, Poynings, Alfriston, and Arundel. 



The round towers in the Ouse Valley are a remarkable local feature. 

 They occur at St. Michael's Lewes, Piddinghoe, and Southease ; were 

 built circular to save stone quoins, and constructed of the material nearest to 

 hand field flints. They are crowned with short timber spires, and all date 

 from the first half of the twelfth century. The detached bell-tower of the 

 cathedral is a special feature, paralleled originally in the cases of Westminster 

 Abbey and Salisbury Cathedral, and in Sussex in the case of Winchelsea 

 church, which possessed a stone and wood bell-tower. 



There are only four ancient stone spires besides that of Chichester 

 Cathedral in Sussex, viz. : those of Chiddingly (early fourteenth century), 

 Northiam, and Dallington (East Sussex), and East Preston (in West Sussex), the 

 last three of late fifteenth-century date. 



Timber spires on towers are very numerous in every part of the county, 

 there being some forty examples of mediaeval construction covered with oak 

 shingles. Notable among these are the fine spires of Alfriston, South Bersted, 

 Berwick, Billingshurst, Bosham, Burwash, Bury, Buxted, Chailey, Cuckfield, 

 Ditchling, Fletching, West Hoathly, Horsham, Horsted Keynes, Lurgashall, 

 Mayfield, Rotherfield, Sompting, and Tarring. South Harting spire is 

 sheathed with copper. There are also numerous spirelets on timber turrets, 

 as at Alciston, Chalvington, West Chiltington, Denton, Eastergate, Folkington, 

 Friston, Westmeston, Wilmington, &c. ' Pepper caster ' turrets of diminutive 

 size are found at Barnham, Ford, Tortington, &c. Three towers built with 

 massive oak framework from the floor of the church, each crowned with a spire, 

 and all of mediaeval date, remain at Itchingfield, Rogate,and Tangmere,in West 

 Sussex ; and Slinfold church had another before it was rebuilt. The two 



340 



