14. St Andrew, West Stoke
This beautiful little church lies on the back road leading from Funtington to Lavant. It is best approached on a summer's day with sheep grazing in the adjoining field. The neat churchyard is dominated by a huge copper beech and the path to the church guarded by rows of clipped yew bushes like so many sentinels.
Enter through the thirteenth century tower-like South doorway into the eleventh century nave. It is a haven of peace and tranquillity. The plain windows of the nave make the interior so light. The roof of the nave is plastered and crowned by four tie beams. Remains of a twelfth century mural can be seen above the chancel arch.
This arch was rebuilt in 1841 in the Early English style. The stained glass in the two lancet windows to members of the Cavendish family is late Victorian as is the glass of the East window in memory of Emily, wife of the Rev. W.F.Shaw who died in 1891. In the south wall is a large thirteenth century piscina. The altar rails are balusters of eighteenth century date.
But the dominant feature of the chancel is a very fine seventeenth century memorial tomb, erected in 1635 in honour of Adrian Stoughton and his wife Mary. Adrian had been Lord of the Manor of West Stoke and Recorder of Chichester from 1601. He and his wife kneel facing each other whilst below seven of their children are shown some of whom carry skulls. An inscription below states that they "lived together in Holy Wedlock 31 yeares, happy Parents of 16 children Thomas, Adrian, Anne, Mary, Sara, Elizabeth, Elinor; the rest died young." An interesting commentary on seventeenth century mortality rates.
The church is full of interesting memorials. The large lancet window in the west wall has stained glass in memory of Lady Victoria Wellesley daughter of the 4th Earl of Mornington, who died in 1897. On the south wall, in contrast, is a marble tablet erected by Charles Scrase Dickins in memory of Mary Hinckley "as a mark of respect and affection to one who for nearly fifty years was a devoted servant to his beloved mother". She died 27 May 1841 in her 88th year "respected by all who knew her". Another more poignant memorial is to Mary Archdale daughter of General Sir Henry Archdale, who died in childbirth in Ireland in 1890, but was brought back to be buried "near her loved old home" in West Stoke.
A photograph on the west wall depicts an Elizabethan chalice cup and also a rare Cromwellian salver both in possession of the church. On a more modern note is the attractive altar carpet made by a local resident Mrs Charles Miller who died in 1994. She completed the carpet plus the altar kneeler in her 91st year.
All in all a little gem of a church and very well maintained. Before leaving explore the churchyard where you may find a headstone to John Browning, a Peninsular War and Waterloo veteran who died in 1868 aged 83.
written by John Symonds
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