St Botolph, Botolphs, Sussex

I Location

Site Location
Botolphs
National Grid Reference
TQ 193 094
County
traditional: Sussex
now: West Sussex
Diocese
medieval: Chichester
now: Chichester
Dedication
medieval: St Peter De Veteri Ponte 1080 ; St Botolph 1300
now (or name of monument): St Botolph
Type of building/monument
Parish church

II General Description

This is a small flint church with a W tower, a long nave with a blocked 13thc. N arcade, and a square chancel. A Norman window survives in the S side of the nave. The chancel arch is probably late Anglo-Saxon rather than early Norman, but is included in the Corpus on account of its stylistic relationship with Sompting (qv).

IV Interior Features

1. Arches

a. Chancel arch/Apse arches

(i) Chancel arch
Chancel arch, view from E.

Chancel arch, view from E.

Chancel arch, N capital.

Chancel arch, N capital.

Chancel arch, S capital.

Chancel arch, S capital.

The soffit of the round-headed chancel arch is adorned by a semi-circular roll, which descends onto carved corbels or capitals to N and S. The possibility that these were originally carried by engaged half-columns is suggested by scarring on the N side: the S side has been rebuilt in brick. Both corbels are crudely carved with indentations, which might be described as waffle pattern.

VII History

Botolphs is not mentioned in 1086, but the church is probably that mentioned under Annington. It has also been equated with the church of St Peter de Veteri Ponte (St Peter of Old Bridge), handed over to St Florent de Saumur together with Beeding Priory and St Nicholas, Bramber,c.1080, by William de Braose. It passed to Sele Priory by 1100 and a priest is recordedc.1150.

VIII Comments/Opinions

IX Bibliography

  • E. A. Fisher, The Saxon Churches of Sussex. Newton Abbot. 1970, 61–67.
  • J. Morris and J. Mothersill (ed.), Domesday Book: Sussex. Chichester 1976, 13.8.
  • Victoria County History: Sussex. VI, Pt 1 (Bramber Rape - S Part), 1980, 199.