Churches in Sussex

The Church

Sussex is an ancient county, with a dense pattern of Parishes, the smallest ecclesiastical unit. 

The history of it's Christianity goes back to the times of the South Saxon Kingdom, which covered an area close to the present borders.

This site aims to cover Churches both as buildings and most importantly as Bodies of Christians. 
A Church is a group of like minded people, who have meetings in a building which is often confusingly also referred to as a Church. 
Other than redundant Church buildings, All Church structures are there to serve a Body of Christians. 
This can lead to a conflict between the need to update, re-order, maintain etc a working building and the secular communities desire to perpetuate an ancient monument as a museum frozen in time.

There are a considerable number of churches with parts, at least, which are generally agreed by the 'experts' to be Saxon. As is the nature of buildings serving a dynamic community, the structures have been built, expanded, reduced, rebuilt, modified and generally 'restored' over the past 1000 years or so, leaving us with many more questions than answers about which part was built or modified when.
This process will continue, with each new generation claiming to be better at maintaining and restoring(?) than those before them.

Historically we have ignored the fact that all man made structures need regular repeated maintenance. This attitude results in excessive deterioration before there are urgent appeals for funds to 'Restore'. This approach often extends to the human condition, we all need regular repeated support, but frequently we neglect this until we reach a crisis.

Most Sites only cover Churches as sterile buildings, an end to their self, I have provided links to some of those here as I cannot begin to cover all aspects of the buildings.

Only those Bodies of Christians which subscribe to the doctrine of the Trinity are included.

Articles

Discussion on Easter Sepulchres in West Sussex.

An article on Minster Churches is being prepared.

Notes:
Buildings considered to have Saxon features are covered on a separate site here.

Numerous articles from various publications, some dating to the early 19th century are included as they provide much of interest. Some, as in the case of Worth and Hangleton are from before the restorations of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Later research and archaeological work may have changed our current views, but earlier work is relevant and is often not readily available to students. Likewise photographic tours are presented as they become available to form a record 'as now'.

A glossary is being built to explain the special terms used.

For further reading a selective Bibliography is being developed 

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Send mail to webmaster@sussexchurches.co.uk with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2002-2010 Martin B Snow and Contributors as noted. All rights reserved. For use in Private Study only. 
All views are those of the original author at the time written and should be viewed as such.
Last modified: 20 February 2010