St Mary's Church, Westham

St Mary's Church

The church from the northwest
50°49′03″N 0°19′45″E / 50.8176°N 0.3291°E / 50.8176; 0.3291Coordinates: 50°49′03″N 0°19′45″E / 50.8176°N 0.3291°E / 50.8176; 0.3291
Location High Street, Westham, Pevensey, East Sussex BN24 5LL
Country United Kingdom
Denomination Church of England
Website westhamchurch.org/
History
Founded 11th century
Dedication Mary
Architecture
Status Parish church
Functional status Active
Heritage designation Grade I
Designated 30 August 1966
Style Norman
Administration
Parish Westham: St Mary
Deanery Rural Deanery of Eastbourne
Archdeaconry Lewes and Hastings
Diocese Chichester
Province Canterbury
Clergy
Vicar(s) Revd Chris Clark
Laity
Churchwarden(s) Jenny Hammond,
Helen Fothergill

St Mary's Church, Westham, is an active Anglican parish church in High Street, Westham, East Sussex, England, standing to the west of Pevensey Castle. The earliest fabric in the church, in the south wall of the nave and in the transept, dates from the late 11th century. The north aisle and the tower were added to the church in the late 14th century. The chancel was either rebuilt or remodelled in about 1420.[1] During the 1870s restorations were carried out, including one by the Lancaster architects Paley and Austin in 1876–77, when he seating was increased from 297 to 403.[1][2] The church is constructed in flint with stone dressings and a tiled roof. Its plan consists of a nave with a north aisle and a north porch, a south transept, a chancel with a north chapel, and a west tower. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.[3]

The church today

St Mary's Church was listed at Grade I by English Heritage on 30 August 1966.[3] Such buildings are defined as being of "exceptional interest" and greater than national importance.[4] As of February 2001, it was one of 47 Grade I listed buildings, and 2,173 listed buildings of all grades, in the district of Wealden.[5]

The parish covers an extensive rural area in the district of Wealden. It includes Westham village, the hamlets of Hankham and Rickney, an area of coastal development between Pevensey Bay village and the edge of Eastbourne, and a small suburban area of Eastbourne around the former hamlet of Friday Street.[6]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Westham — St Mary, Sussex Parish Churches, retrieved 30 August 2011
  2. Brandwood, Geoff; Austin, Tim; Hughes, John; Price, James (2012), The Architecture of Sharpe, Paley and Austin, Swindon: English Heritage, p. 229, ISBN 978-1-84802-049-8
  3. 1 2 Historic England, "The Parish Church of St Mary, Westham (1353431)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 30 August 2011
  4. "Listed Buildings". Historic England. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  5. "Images of England — Statistics by County (East Sussex)". Images of England. English Heritage. 2007. Archived from the original on 27 December 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  6. "Westham". A Church Near You website. Archbishops' Council. 2010. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
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