St Botolph's Church, Botolphs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Botolph's Church |
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St Botolph's Church from the west
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| 50°52′14″N 0°18′18″W / 50.8704689°N 0.3050819°W | |
| Location | Annington Rd, Botolphs, West Sussex, BN44 3WB |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | www.3bsparish.co.uk |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Church of St Peter de Vetere Ponte |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founded | Late 11th century |
| Dedication | St Botolph |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 15 March 1955 |
| Style | Saxon/Norman |
| Groundbreaking | Late 11th century |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Beeding and Bramber with Botolphs |
| Deanery | Rural Deanery of Storrington |
| Archdeaconry | Horsham |
| Diocese | Chichester |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Botolph's Church is a very old church in Botolphs, West Sussex, England. It is located in the valley of the River Adur. This church is a Grade I listed building, which means it's super important and protected. It's now part of the Church of England parish of Beeding and Bramber with Botolphs.
The church used to be called St Peter de Vetere Ponte, which means St Peter of the Old Bridge. This name came from a bridge over the River Adur that is now gone. The church serves the small, mostly empty village of Botolphs. Inside, you can still see small pieces of old wall paintings. The church also has a special pulpit from the Jacobean era (the early 1600s).
Contents
Discovering the Church's Past
The area around Botolphs became a parish during the Saxon era. This was a time long ago, before the Normans came to England. The land was divided into long, narrow sections near the River Adur, which flowed into the sea at Shoreham. Botolphs, like its neighbors Beeding and Bramber, stretched for about 2 miles (3.2 km) from west to east.
How Old is Botolphs?
In 1086, a big survey called the Domesday survey mentioned a place called Hanyngedune. This area was the same as what later became Botolphs. We know it existed even earlier, in 956, when King Eadwig gave it away.
The land in Botolphs had two higher areas, surrounded by a flat, flood-prone plain. This meant two small settlements grew up separately. Some cottages were built near Annington manor house and its farm. A few other homes were built around the church. This second settlement was first called Old Bridge before it became Botolphs. Old Roman building pieces found nearby suggest the church was built close to a very old bridge over the river.
The Church's Changing Names
The Domesday survey mentioned a church at Annington. The way St Botolph's Church is built shows it was first built by the Saxons. This means it was the only church for the area, not one for each settlement. People think the church was always dedicated to St Botolph.
However, around the time of the Norman conquest, the church was officially renamed St Peter de Vetere Ponte. But by 1254, the name St Botolph started appearing again. For a while, both names were used. By the 1400s, the name St Peter was no longer used. Some people also think it might have been dedicated to St Mary at one point. Another church dedicated to St Peter nearby might be why the name went back to St Botolph.
The River Adur used to be deep enough for boats to travel as far as Bramber. But around 1350, the sea started to move back, and the river filled with mud. This made the bridge at Botolphs unusable, and the village's population started to shrink. The crossing point had been used for about 1,000 years! When it was lost, the village could no longer grow. In 1526, Botolphs became part of Bramber parish.
How the Church Grew and Shrank
Over hundreds of years, the church changed size as the number of people in the village changed. At first, it was a simple building with a nave (the main part) and a chancel (the area around the altar). In the 1200s, a tower was added. Around 1250, an aisle (a side section) was added to the north side. This aisle had three arches connecting it to the nave.
The chancel was changed, and new windows were put in during the 1300s. In 1536, the tower got three bells. The north aisle, which might have held a special place for St Botolph, St Peter, and Mary, started to fall apart by the late 1700s because fewer people lived there. By 1830, it was torn down, leaving only the three filled-in arches on the north wall.
An old timber-framed house for the vicar (the church leader) was built by 1615. It might even be from the 1300s. This building is still next to the church today, though it has been changed over time. It is also a protected building, listed at Grade II since 1980.
Exploring the Church's Design and Features
St Botolph's Church is in a very peaceful place next to the River Adur. Even though there used to be a cement factory and a railway line nearby, they are no longer operating. In 1932, a historian noted that a new road along the river made it easier for people to visit this "little lost Downland church."
Some people in the 1800s didn't think much of the church, calling it "small and uninteresting." But others have praised its "clean lines" and "perfect setting."
Inside the Ancient Church
The main parts of the church, the nave and chancel, are Saxon, but their exact age is unknown. The nave is long and narrow, about 55 feet 6 inches (16.92 m) long and 17 feet 6 inches (5.33 m) wide inside. On the south wall, at the west end, there's an original round-headed Saxon window. The south doorway was added in the 1600s, with a newer porch.
The chancel is about 16 feet (4.9 m) long and 10 feet (3.0 m) wide inside. The arch leading to the chancel is a Saxon feature.
The north aisle, added around 1250, had three arches. By the early 1800s, these arches were filled in, and the aisle was taken down. This shows how the village of Botolphs had shrunk. The remains of these pointed arches are still a clear feature on the north wall.
Hidden Art and Special Items
Traces of old wall paintings were found in 1897. In the 1930s, people thought they showed a "Doom" scene, which is a painting of the Last Judgment. They might have included pictures of St John, the Virgin Mary, and a bishop. Today, only a few unclear patches can be seen.
The pulpit, where the priest gives sermons, was likely made in 1630. It used to be painted blue and has cool carved patterns on it.
One of the three bells from 1536 has a special message. It says "Sancte Petre ora pro nobis," which means "Saint Peter pray for us." This reminds us of the church's old dedication to St Peter.
A modern Tapsel gate was added in 2003. This gate connects the churchyard to a nearby burial ground. This burial ground is used by the villages of Bramber, Upper Beeding, and Steyning. The gate was built to make it easier for visitors to the burial ground to use the church. The Bishop of Horsham officially opened it in 2004.
St Botolph's Church Today
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St Botolph's Church was given its Grade I listing on March 15, 1955. This means it's considered a building of "exceptional interest" and is very important to the country's history. As of 2001, it was one of 38 Grade I listed buildings in the Horsham area.
The right to choose the church's priest, called the advowson, has belonged to the Bishop of Chichester since 1953. St Botolph's Church has been connected to St Nicholas' Church at Bramber since 1526. It has also been connected to St Peter's Church in Beeding since 1987. These three churches now work together as one parish, with one church council.
Long ago, the right to choose the priest belonged to Sele Priory, a monastery near Beeding. This priory was linked to a church in France. Later, most of the priory's rights, including the advowson, were given to Magdalen College at the University of Oxford in the late 1400s. Magdalen College chose the priest until 1953, when they gave this right to the Bishop of Chichester.
Today, one Sunday service is held at St Botolph's Church each month, on the evening of the first Sunday. Other services are held at the churches in Bramber and Upper Beeding. The combined parish, which serves about 5,000 people, was officially created in 1987. Records of births, marriages, and deaths in the parish have been kept since 1601.
Gallery
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The nave showing the filled-in north arcade.
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The Jacobean pulpit.
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The church from the north west showing the filled-in arcade, formerly in the north aisle.
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The Bishop of Horsham dedicating the tapsel gate in 2004, with the Rector and the bishop's domestic chaplain.
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Painting of King Charles I's arms, displayed on the wall inside St Botolph's Church (opposite end from altar)
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in West Sussex
- List of places of worship in Horsham (district)
- Anglo-Saxon architecture
