St Mary, Binsted, Sussex

I Location

Site Location
Binsted
National Grid Reference
SU 059 981
County
traditional: Sussex
now: West Sussex
Diocese
medieval: Chichester
now: Chichester
Dedication
medieval: not confirmed
now (or name of monument): St Mary 1776
Type of building/monument
Parish church

II General Description

Binsted church has a single nave, with a bell turret at the W end, opposing N and S doorways and one blocked Norman window (N side). The chancel is not separated from the nave by an arch, and has Norman windows on both N and S sides.

V Furnishings

1. Fonts

(i)

Font.

Font.

Font.

Font.

Located between N and S doorways of nave. This chalice-shaped font has a bulbous shape and is carved with eight segmental-headed arches, decorated with pellets or spherical bosses, with moulded capitals and paired shafts, but no bases. The basin is lead lined, and the rim considerably damaged. A fat roll moulding runs around the bottom edge. The bowl stands on a cylindrical stem with an attic base, on a short, round plinth.

Dimensions
full h. 0.97 m
h. of tub only 0.44 m
circumf. 2.20 m
diam. of basin 0.495 m
diam. (ext) 0.685 m

3. Piscinae/Pillar Piscinae

(i) Piscina

Piscina.

Piscina.

Located in chancel on S side, the piscina projects from the wall. The shallow, curved bowl is carved with scallops. The square, chamfered basin has a flat bottom, with channels converging on the drain hole.

Dimensions
h. 0.13 m
w. 0.29 m

VII History

Binsted is mentioned in the Domesday Book, but not the church. However, the church is known to have existed by the mid-12thc., and by 1291 it had been appropriated to Tortington Priory. It was restored by Sir T G Jackson in 1867-68.

VIII Comments/Opinions

The font, with its cylindrical shaft and base, could date from the late 12thc. The multi-scalloped piscina resembles corbels or respond capitals occurring in arcades ofc.1200 in the area around Boxgrove.

IX Bibliography

  • Anon, nd. St Mary's Church, Binsted (church guide)
  • J. Morris and J. Mothersill (ed.), Domesday Book: Sussex. Chichester 1976, 11.80
  • I. Nairn and N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Sussex. Harmondsworth 1965, 105
  • Victoria County History: Sussex. 5, Pt 1 (Arundel Rape - SW Part), (1997), 123-125.
  • A. K. Walker, An Introduction to the Study of English fonts with details of those in Sussex. London 1908, 120-121