St James, Ashurst, Sussex

I Location

Site Location
Ashurst
National Grid Reference
TQ 176 164
County
traditional: Sussex
now: West Sussex
Diocese
medieval: Chichester
now: Chichester
Dedication
medieval: not confirmed
now (or name of monument): St James
Type of building/monument
Parish church

II General Description

Church Plan

Church Plan

The church has a nave, a S porch, a wide S aisle which ends in a chapel, and chancel. The aisle chapel and SW tower were builtc.1200, and the chancel dates from the 13thc.

V Furnishings

1. Fonts

(i)

Font.

Font.

Font, detail.

Font, detail.

This is a square, Sussex marble bowl supported on five columns with moulded (Early English) capitals and bases. An arcade of five pointed arches has been incised on the E face, but may not be original. The central column is original but the four angle columns have been replaced in freestone (probably Bath stone). The upper plinth is new but is of Sussex marble, and incorporates bases with spurs. The lower plinth is of freestone. The circular basin has a lead lining. There are various repairs on the rim.

Dimensions
total h. 0.96 m
h. excl. lower plinth 0.85 m
diam. of basin 0. 465 m
l. of sides 0.56 m

VII History

Ashurst is not mentioned in the Domesday Survey. The church was restored in 1720 and 1877, when the S porch was rebuilt. The font was found embedded in an internal buttress. Although it may be 12thc. in origin, the carved arcade is Gothic, and probably dates from 13thc. The arcade is notionally formed, however, from intersecting round-headed arches. The similar font at Buxted is carved with pointed arches enclosing trefoil tracery.

VIII Comments/Opinions

The font is dated to the 13thc. by Steer.

IX Bibliography

  • M. F. Drummond-Roberts, Some Sussex Fonts Photographed and Described. Brighton 1935, 7,
  • I. Nairn and N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Sussex. Harmondsworth 1965, 97.
  • F. Steer, 'Guide to the Church of St James Ashurst', Sussex Churches 42. 1969.
  • A. K. Walker, An Introduction to the Study of English Fonts with Details of those in Sussex. London 1908, 86-87.