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I Location

II General Description

This unusually large but (unfortunately) heavily restored parish church comprises a chancel, central tower, transepts, S vestry and an aisled and clerestoried nave with N and W porches. The earliest part is the central tower (mid-12thc.), with transepts, which were either added or remodelled later in the same century. The nave and chancel date from the 13thc. and the W front was built in 1887.

III Exterior Features

2. Windows

(i) Central tower

The bell stage of the central tower, above the roofs of the nave, transepts and chancel, is crowned by a crenellated parapet and is lit by two louvred lancets to E, N and W, and by three to S. These have slightly pointed arches, carved with rolls and a hollow, and have labels with pronounced hollows. The arches descend onto continuous moulded impost bands, supported by en delit nook shafts with weathered, restored, capitals. The capitals are described clockwise from the NE corner of the tower.

E face of central tower, N window

N capital: projecting block at top of capital carved with foliage on angle; disc on face.

S capital: block shaped with entwined pair of stems on each face, alternating with upright bands.

E face of central tower, S window

N capital: projecting block at top of capital, carved with foliage on angle and face.

S capital: projecting block at top of capital, carved with foliage on angle and face.

S face of central tower, E window

E capital: block capital carved with upright foliage stems.

W capital: projecting block at top of capital, carved with foliage on angle and face.

S face of central tower, middle window

E capital: block capital carved with flat leaf shapes.

W capital: exposed bell overlaid with spade-shaped water leaf.

S face of central tower, W window

E capital: multi-scalloped, with small hollow shields.

W capital: multi-scalloped; very worn.

W face of central tower, S window

S capital: projecting block at top of capital, carved with hyphenated cusping.

N capital: projecting block at top of capital, carved with hyphenated cusping.

W face of central tower, N window

S capital: multi-scalloped

N capital: multi-scalloped

N face of central tower, W window

W capital: smooth block shape

E capital: smooth block shape

N face of central tower, E window

W capital: projecting block at top of capital, carved with hyphenated cusping.

E capital: projecting block at top of capital, carved with hyphenated cusping.

3. Exterior Decoration

d. Miscellaneous

(i) Nook shafts

The corners of the bell stage of the central tower are articulated by nook shafts. Those to NE and NW have scalloped capitals; that to SE has a block-shaped cap and that to SW a moulded cap.

IV Interior Features

1. Arches

b. Tower/Transept arches

(i) Crossing arches

The W and E arches of the central crossing tower are lavishly decorated on both sides; the arches to the transepts are plain. The W arch has been rebuilt, probably to strengthen the tower. Now pointed, it was probably originally rounded, like the E arch. Exposed ashlar blocks in the walling above the arch seem to reveal its original width. The rounded jambs may encase some original stonework.

Central crossing tower, W arch

The pointed arch comprises two orders, which die into rounded jambs.

Inner Order, E and W sides

The soffit of the inner archivolt is carved with point-to-point chevron. The lozenge or diamond-shaped spaces between the chevrons are carved with flower heads with plain hemispherical or pin-head centres, and fluted petals with rounded tips. The E and W faces of the inner archivolt are carved with a hollow and half roll.

Second order, W side

The second archivolt is carved with lozenge chevron on both face and soffit, in each case composed of two interweaving rolls. The lozenge chevron on the soffit forms smaller units than that on the face, and is not enriched with further decoration. It dies out on the S side of the arch, probably as a result of the arch being rebuilt. One unit, smaller than the others, is accompanied by a swirling or whorl-shaped boss. The outer spandrels of the lozenges on the face of the arch are filled with fluted, fanning leaf forms, while the inner spandrels are occupied by beakheads, which grasp an angle roll.

Label, W side

The label has a convex profile and is carved with broad, squat palmettes with fluted leaves, enclosed by beaded or nailhead bands. This is now set flush with the wall and is not a true label.

Second order, E side

The second archivolt is carved with point-to-point chevron, ie: lateral chevron on face and soffit. The points of the units do not touch, but overlap a keeled angle roll. On both face and soffit, each triangular interstice is carved with fluted petals emanating from a hemispherical boss (cf: soffit of inner archivolt). As on the W side, this motif dies away to the S, leaving only the tips of the petals visible.

Label, E side

The label has a convex profile and is carved with broad, squat palmettes with fluted leaves, surrounded by striated frames. As on the W side, this is set flush with the wall.

Central crossing tower, E arch

This arch has not been rebuilt. It has a slightly depressed shape and fills the full width of the bay between the crossing piers. It comprises two orders to N and S, each carried by engaged columns with carved capitals, impost blocks (upright with groove, and hollow below) and attic bases. Only the S impost of the inner order appears to be original.

Inner order, E and W sides

The soffit of the inner archivolt is carved with two rows of lateral hyphenated chevron, placed hyphen-to-hyphen. Each row is formed from a plain roll, and the lozenge or diamond-shaped interstices between them are filled with flower heads with hemispherical or pin-head centres and fluted petals with rounded tips. The tips of the chevron overlap the hyphens of frontal hyphenated chevron, again formed from plain rolls. The E and W faces of the arch are carved with a hollow and roll. The S and N capitals are carved with exposed bells overlaid with deeply undercut and fluted palmette and acanthus foliage, with curling tips and angle volutes. The E face of each capital is carved with stems spouting from the mouth of a human head, the W side with a curled leaf grasping a sphere. The tightly curled foliate volutes on the E corner of each capital clasp a pine cone, while the cupped leaves on the W corner are tied by broad bands.

Second order, W side

The second archivolt on the W side of the arch is carved with point-to-point chevron, ie: lateral chevron on both face and soffit. Each row is formed from a plain roll. The tips touch on the angle, and the underlying surface has been rounded to suggest a roll. The triangular interstices on both face and soffit are carved with fluted leaves, without flower centres. The N capital is carved with inter-twining fat stems issuing cupped fluted foliage. The S capital is carved with small griffins, standing on their hind-quarters, with stems entwined around their necks. The stems issue pine cones and small fluted leaves.

Label, W side

The label on the W side has a convex profile and projects from the wall plane (unlike W arch). It is carved with broad, squat palmettes in straited frames (cf: label of W arch, E side). The label stop on the N is in the form of a bearded head. That on the S is damaged but may be an animal bust or owl. The keystone is carved with a snouted animal head.

Second order, E side

The second archivolt has a hollow and roll on the face, and a plain soffit. The N capital is carved with pairs of stems issuing cupped leaves, arching over single upright leaves. The upper part of the S capital is carved with a deeply undercut curled frill of fluted leaves, with flat strap-like stems overlaid by sickle-shaped bands, some carved with fluted leaf forms.

Label, E side

The label is carved with a hollow, filled with square flower shapes with pronounced hemispherical centres and fluted petals. It has no stops.

4. Vaulting/Roof supports

a. Chancel

The chancel is vaulted in four bays. The ribs in the two W bays are chamfered, in the two E bays, moulded. The ribs descend onto short cluster columns which stand on a string course. The rounded capitals have smooth bells or stiff-leaf foliage and fall outside the remit of the Corpus (see below for string course).

5. Interior Decoration

a. String courses

(i) Chancel

The string course or sill-course in the chancel (see above for description of context) is carved with a row of chevron. The underside of each unit houses a spherical boss, or pellet. Some of these are conical and fluted. The string course is moulded around the bases of the columnar vaulting supports, where it is supported by elbow corbels.

c. Miscellaneous

(i) Blind arch, chancel

A round-headed blind arch in the N wall of the chancel, possibly a tomb recess, has a single-order arch carved on face and soffit with two rows of frontal chevron, with a single row of frontal chevron on the angle. The arch descends onto impost bands carved with capitals with three, plain, smooth leaves (cf: waterleaf). The engaged nook shafts have water-holding bases.

V Furnishings

2. Tombs/Graveslabs

(i) Tomb recess

For possible tomb recess in chancel, N side, see above (5.c.i)

VII History

Broadwater church was mentioned in Domesday Book, but the only remnant of that building might be the Anglo-Saxon doorway discovered in the S wall of the chancel during a restoration of 1936–39. Rectors are recorded from 1145, and the advowson descended with the manor until 1734.

The church was completely rebuilt, beginning in the third quarter of the 12thc. (1150s, 1160s) with the central tower. The tower has evidently suffered from instability, but the date of the rebuilding of the W arch is uncertain. According to Mayo that happened in the 14thc., and according to Harrison and Leeney, in the 18thc. (cf: Tortington chancel arch). Either seems possible. The church underwent numerous 'restorations' in the 19thc., in 1826,c.1830,c.1855, 1862-66 and 1887, but none of these schemes appears to have been well documented or understood. Around 1830 the tower was embattled and a beacon turret added. The newel staircase was filled up in the 1850s, and the turret removed in 1866. The chancel walls were straightenedc.1855 by 'Mr Hide's experiment', but in 1866 it was heavily rebuilt and refenestrated. At the same time a vestry was erected on the site of the S transept chapels. The W front and W porch were erected in 1887.

VIII Comments/Opinions

The stonework of the tower arches is reputedly of Caen stone (not confirmed). The repertoire of motifs on the arches has led to comparisons with work at Old Shoreham and Steyning, although there are technical differences.

The authenticity of the capitals of the E arch should be questioned, although Harrison praised them very highly ('unsurpassed in craftsmanship by any work of their age') and maintained that only two, on the N side, had been renewed. Bond compared them with sculpture at Canterbury Cathedral, Reigate, New Shoreham and Chichester Cathedral, while Harrison pointed out parallels with Poissy, St Lomer de Blois and Burgundy. Harrison suggested that the craftsmen were influenced by Cluny, via Lewes Priory. There is nothing to support this allegation, either at Cluny or Lewes, and the most striking parallel is with sculpture of the 1160s and 1170s from the Ile-de-France. However, the crisp carving and smooth finish suggest the hand of a 19th-century restorer. The design of the inner arch capitals is particularly unconvincing. Each one is individually asymmetrical and unbalanced, but as a pair they attempt symmetry (across the arch, as it were) in a manner quite foreign to 12thc. sculpture (ie: their E sides match, but are quite different from the W sides, which also match).

Confusingly, while Harrison dated the arches to 1135-1160, he dated the E arch capitals to 1160-1200. Certainly if they are authentic, or copy original capitals, they would push the date of the arches into the 1170s, at the earliest.

The capitals of the bell stage of the tower are also untrustworthy. Some, carved with simple scalloped capitals, may be original or may copy originals, but the others have strange forms without parallel in 12thc. work. They may have been carved at the same time as the E arch capitals, perhaps during one of the early 19thc. restoration campaigns.

The lateral chevron of the tomb recess in the chancel is similar to that of some arches in the nave of Steyning, and the capitals carved into the impost band also finds parallels at Steyning, this time in the clerestorey.

IX Bibliography