A HISTORY OF SUSSEX 



With regard to the fenestration of clearstories, we have some interesting 

 varieties in treatment; thus at Horsham, West Tarring, Pevensey, Battle, and 

 Salehurst, the clearstory windows are pierced through the wall-space above 

 the piers of the arcades not over the apex of the arches. These are all 

 thirteenth-century churches, Battle being somewhat earlier as to its arcades. 

 At Salehurst the lancets are set very curiously in the clearstory bays. In 

 order from west to east they are single, double, single, triple, single. Quatrefoil- 

 shaped openings occur in the small clearstory (thirteenth century) on the 

 south side of Rustington church, and again at Lancing. Similar quatre- 

 foils were found at Rogate some years ago, but were destroyed. At Bosham, 

 Firle, and Playden there are plain circular openings ; at Felpham trefoil- 

 headed openings ; at Beddingham ogee-quatrefoils ; and at Arundel quatre- 

 foils under hood-mouldings, carried round the nave and transepts, of late 

 fourteenth-century date. 



Two West Sussex churches, Ashurst and Findon displaying evidence 

 in their arcades of having been rebuilt about A.D. 1200, by the same 

 masons 7 are peculiar in possessing twin naves, divided by a central arcade, 

 but spanned by one lofty roof, the tower in both cases being placed to the 

 south of the west end. 



Aisles, or chapels, on a large scale, parallel to the chancel and used as 

 Lady chapels or Saints' chapels sometimes built at the cost of a family or a 

 gild remain at the following among other churches : Arundel, Beckley, 

 Brede, Brightling, Buxted, West Chiltington, Ditchling, Eastbourne, Findon, 

 Firle, Framfield, Funtington, Guestling, Horsham, Icklesham, Mayfield, 

 Northiam, Pevensey, Ringmer, Rodmell, Slaugham, Winchelsea, Rye, and 

 West Wittering. Certain peculiarities group together the small attached 

 chapels of early date (twelfth and thirteenth centuries) at Arlington, Beckley, 

 Guestling, Newtimber, and Wivelsfield ; while there is another remarkable 

 group, all dating from the closing years of the twelfth century, placed at the 

 end of the south aisle of the nave, and all vaulted, at West Hampnett and 

 Aldingbourne (West Sussex), and St. Ann's Lewes and Westmeston (East 

 Sussex) probably all by the same gild of masons. 



The plan of Sompting church stands by itself. It has a large chapel 

 abutting upon the western end of the north wall of the nave, and eastern 

 chapels opening off the transepts, that from the northern transept taking the 

 form of a vaulted aisle, while that from the south is a shallow recess with a 

 small chamber adjoining. The floor of the south transept is sunk several feet 

 below that of the nave owing to the site being upon the slope of a hill. 8 

 Sloping floors, due to the same cause, are exceptionally numerous in Sussex, 

 and have been found at Fletching, Hangleton,Portslade, Pulborough (chancel), 

 and Rottingdean. 



Before restoration the arch between the chancel of Ditchling church 

 and the Lady chapel on the south was filled in by a coped wall with an 

 opening in it ; and at Arundel the Fitzalan chancel is entirely separated 



r A third church West Grinstead has an arcade of exactly the same character, with capitals enriched 

 with delicate early foliage and double chamfered arches, precisely similar to the work in the other two, but 

 here the roofs of the twin naves are of the more usual M shape. Clapham Church also has arcades of the 

 same date and character, but the roof is of the ordinary type, prolonged to cover the aisles. 



* No satisfactory explanation has yet been given of the many peculiar features in this remarkable plan. Prob- 

 ably they are partly to be accounted for by the presence in this parish of an estate of the Knights Templars. 



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