St Mary, Apuldram, Sussex

I Location

Site Location
Apuldram
National Grid Reference
SU 841 032
County
traditional: Sussex
now: West Sussex
Diocese
medieval: Chichester
now: Chichester
Dedication
medieval: Assumption of the Virgin
now (or name of monument): St Mary
Type of building/monument
Formerly Chapel of Ease, now parish church

II General Description

The 12thc. nave has received several additions, namely a 13thc. S aisle, a 15thc. S porch and a 19thc. vestry. The nave is not divided from the 13thc.chancel by an arch. There are substantial 19thc. restorations. The font is the only 12thc. carved feature.

V Furnishings

1. Fonts

(i)

Font, detail

Font, detail

Font, detail

Font, detail

Located at the W end of the nave. This extremely weathered square Sussex marble bowl is carved with four shallow arches with slightly depressed heads on the E face. Traces of similar arches remain on the other faces. There are horizontal and vertical repairs. The basin is circular. The support, comprising a thick central shaft (for the drain) and four slender angle shafts with capitals and bases, is modern.

Dimensions
h. of bowl 0.29 m
int. dia. of basin 0.55 m
l. of side at top 0.715 m
l. of side at bottom 0.655-0.670 m

VII History

The manor of Apuldram was attached to Bosham untilc.1120 when Henry I gave it to Battle Abbey. Ecclesiastical jurisdiction, nevertheless, remained with Bosham. The church was restored in 1803, 1845, 1862, 1877 and 1890.

the church was originally Chapel of Ease (to Bosham) achieving the status of a parish church when it was granted right of burial in 1447 (VCH 4:140)

VIII Comments/Opinions

The font is of a type widespread in Sussex and difficult to date within the 12thc./early 13thc. Steer maintained that the central shaft is original (Steer 1965, 3).

IX Bibliography

  • Rev. F. H. Arnold, 'Parochial History of Apuldram', Sussex Archaeological Collections 18, 1866, 74-86.
  • M. F. Drummond-Roberts, Some Sussex Fonts Photographed and Described. Brighton 1935, 4.
  • A. Mee, The King's England: Sussex. London 1937 (revised and edited by C.L.S.Linnell 1964), 6.
  • I. Nairn and N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Sussex. Harmondsworth 1965, 85 (no mention of font).
  • A. H. Peat and L. C. Halsted, Churches and Other Antiquities of West Sussex. Chichester 1912, 25-28.
  • F. Steer, Guide to the Church of St Mary the Virgin Apuldram (church guide). 1965.
  • Victoria County History: Sussex. IV (Chichester Rape) 1953, 139-140.
  • A. K. Walker, An Introduction to the Study of English Fonts with Details of those in Sussex. London 1908, 82-83.