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I Location

II General Description

Burpham has a W tower, a nave with a S aisle, N and S transepts and a vaulted chancel with a Victorian arch (1869). There are Norman windows in the W and N walls of the N transept.

III Exterior Features

2. Windows

(i) Window in W wall of N transept

Externally, the head of this window is carved with a band of dogtooth decoration.

IV Interior Features

1. Arches

b. Tower/Transept arches

(i) Transept arches

S transept arch

The S transept arch, reputedly mainly of Caen stone, is round-headed and of two orders to N and S. The inner arch comprises three plain rolls. On the N (nave) side, the outer arch has a thin keeled angle roll overlapped by point-to-point chevron, frontal to the face and soffit and composed of a single roll. On the S (transept) side, the outer arch is carved with directional chevron (from W to E) on a triple roll, with the chevron emerging from the outer rolls and bridging the central roll. The label is plain, but the stops on the S side are carved with animal heads with snouts. The impost blocks have an upright with a groove, and a hollow chamfer. The inner order is carried by half-columns, the outer orders to N and S by engaged nook shafts. Some of the attic bases have decorative spurs (inner order, W shaft: folded or pleated cloth; inner order, E shaft: symmetrical foliage issuing pine cone; outer order S side, E shaft: intertwined palmettes)

The E capital of the inner order is multi-scalloped. The cones are sheathed. The W capital is fluted.The E and W capitals of the outer order on the N side are multi-scalloped. The E capital of the outer order on the S side is multi-scalloped, with V-profile cones and shields. The W capital, together with the shaft and base, is modern (1975).

c. Nave arches

(i) S side, E bay

A pointed arch of two orders, each with an angle roll to N and S, descending onto half columns (inner order) and nook shafts (outer orders, N and S) with high attic bases. The label on the nave side has stiff-leaf stops; the stops on the aisle side are damaged. The impost blocks have a low upright and a roll. The capitals of the inner arch are scalloped, with an irregular horizontal ridge cut into the cones at mid-height. The capitals of the outer arch on the N (nave) side are carved with sunken arcading. The capitals of the outer arch on the S (aisle) side have upright stems issuing flat, rounded leaves. The capitals appear to be of soft chalky stone, or clunch.

4. Vaulting/Roof supports

a. Chancel

The chancel has two rib vaults, with keel moulded transverse arches which descend on foliage capitals with thick, smooth, pointed leaves. The ribs are composed of two rolls. The NE corbel is plain while that on the SE is multi-scalloped.

VI Loose Sculpture

(i) Capital, S transept

Carved with upright, fluted foliage with cusped tips. It incorporates an abacus and necking.

Dimensions

VII History

The church has Anglo-Saxon origins, and it has been suggested that the transepts developed out of porticus (compare Worth and Stoughton). It is mentioned in the Domesday Book, and was later givn to Lewes Priory. It was subjected to piecemeal revamping in the late 12thc. or early 13thc. The S aisle arcade was blockedc.1800, and restored in 1869. The chancel arch, and possibly the SW nave arch, dates from 1869 (Sir T G Jackson).

VIII Comments/Opinions

The S transept arch probably dates from the third quarter of the 12thc. The arcading on the capitals of the nave E arch, outer order, is of a type more commonly found on late 12thc. fonts than on capitals. This arch dates from the late 12thc. The chancel is Transitional, and the vaulting of c.1180-1200. It is an example of how multi-scallop capitals lingered for longer than other Romanesque forms in West Sussex.

IX Bibliography