St Richard, Aldwick, Sussex

I Location

Site Location
Aldwick
National Grid Reference
SZ 909 990
County
traditional: Sussex
now: West Sussex
Diocese
medieval: Chichester
now: Chichester
Dedication
medieval: not confirmed
now (or name of monument): St Richard
Type of building/monument
Parish church

II General Description

This Gothic style church was designed by F G Troup and built in 1933. It was described by Nairn as 'the most debilitated kind of Gothic Revival . . . Horrible' (Nairn and Pevsner 1965, 79). There is no medieval fabric.

V Furnishings

4. Other

(i) Credence shelf

S transept, S chapel, reset capital, view from NW.

S transept, S chapel, reset capital, view from NW.

A volute capital is reset in the wall of the S chapel of the S transept and used as a credence shelf. Two faces are visible. On both, three pointed leaves fill the V-shaped field between the small, angle volutes, while the lower part of the basket is smooth.

Dimensions
h. 0.28 m
max w. of each face 0.255 m

VII History

Aldwick is not mentioned in the Domesday Survey (1086). According to Charles H Mosse, a former vicar of Aldwick, in a note written to Professor George Zarneckic.1950, the capital was 'removed from Chichester Cathedral' (GZ index cards). The date or circumstances of this event are not known.

VIII Comments/Opinions

The capital is very similar to those at Chichester Cathedral, and so this is an extremely likely provenance.

IX Bibliography

  • I. Nairn and N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Sussex. Harmondsworth 1965, 79.
  • G. Zarnecki, unpublished card index.