|
67. St Mary the Virgin Upwaltham and St Agatha's Coates
Half way along the busy A28 Chichester-Petworth road a narrow farm track to the left leads to the isolated church of St Mary's Upwaltham, built in the eleventh century. A winding brick path leads up to the churchyard from where a fine Downland view can be obtained. The walls of the church are three feet thick and the red tiled roof has a small boarded bell-cote on top containing one bell. Inside, the ceiling of the nave is plastered in red and three tie beams cross over it. The floor of the nave is red-tiled. At the west end stands the 900 year old tub shaped font. The chancel unusually is set in the apse. There is no east window but two plain lancet windows either side of the altar give plenty of light. The wooden altar stands on a base of green marble and is backed by a blue curtain. An ancient carved stone seat on the south side is next to the piscina. The Rector's stall, the lectern and prayer desk are all Victorian.
On the floor of the nave are three tombstones of the Ide family, one of whom owned the Crowned Glass works in London and presented coloured glass for the chancel windows. Fragments remain in the south east nave lancet. In the vestry at the back of the church is a wooden tablet inscribed in Latin 'Manus ad Clarum Oculus ad Coelum' (Put your hand unto the key and your eye to Heaven to see). There is a sad memorial in the chancel to Frances Martha, wife of the Revd James Tripp, Rector, who died in childbirth on September 3 1820. 'Gentle in her manner and kind to all This monument was erected by her disconsolate husband. One final historical note is that in early Victorian times the parish was often visited by the Rev. H.E.Manning, curate of Graffham, who later became Cardinal Manning, Second Archbishop of Westminster. St Agatha's Coates
The little church of St Agatha's Coates certainly existed at the end of the 11th century. A century later it was impropriated to Lewes Priory. Lying in peaceful countryside off a minor road south of Fittleworth one approaches the church by a long path bounded by holly and beech hedges. Behind the church in the far corner of the churchyard stands a magnificent cedar tree. Inside, six massive oak tie beams straddle the plain white ceiling of the nave. One original Saxon window remains in the south wall of the nave. Monks from the priory later improved the lighting by inserting larger Early English lancet windows. Two stained glass lancet windows behind the altar depict St Paul and St John. There is a Sedilia (priest's chair) in the south wall of the chancel and a holy water stoup in the north wall of the nave near the entrance door. The square font at the west end is relatively rare in Sussex its bowl engraved by round arches and supported by five rounded pillars. Behind the lectern a First World War memorial commemorates the five men from Coates killed in that conflict. A separate memorial in the nave honours Alexander Nigel Trotter, a lieutenant in the 3rd Royal Scots killed in France in October 1914. More surprisingly perhaps is a memorial to Louisa Jane, Duchess of Abercorn who died in March 1905 in her 93rd year. A new bell-cote was built in 1961 and at the same time electric heating and lighting was installed. The lights hang from three wrought iron pendants. There is a lovely symmetry about this small church, a place of peace and holiness well worth making a detour to see. JOHN SYMONDS |
|
page last updated |
