St Mary, Goring-By-Sea, Sussex

I Location

Site Location: Goring-By-Sea
National Grid Reference: TQ 111 026
County: traditional: Sussex
now: West Sussex
Diocese: medieval: Chichester
now: Chichester
Dedication: medieval: not confirmed
now (or name of monument): St Mary
Type of building/monument: Parish church

II General Description

: N arcade, E capital, from NE.

Goring church, rebuilt in 1837, has a W tower, nave with N and S aisles and a chancel. The 12th-century nave arcades were retained in 1837.

IV Interior Features

2. Arcades

c. Nave

: N arcade, E capital, from SW.

: N arcade, W capital, from NE.

: N arcade, W capital, from SW.

: S arcade, E capital, from NE.

: S arcade, E capital, from SW.

: S arcade, W capital, from NE.

: S arcade, W capital, from SW.

: N arcade.

: S arcade.

(i) N and S arcades

The three-bay N and S arcades are, unusually, almost identical in style. They have plain chamfered arches carried by squared responds with plain impost blocks, and cylindrical columns with low, square, multi-scallop capitals. The impost blocks have a low upright with a groove, and a taller hollow chamfer. The capitals all have sunken shields, and decorative inverted 'V' shapes between the cones, in the manner of sheaths. These are usually striated, but some are carved with ears of corn, plat, dogtooth, chevron, lozenge, honeycomb or star patterns.

VII History

Goring is mentioned in Domesday Book, but no church. It was rebuilt in 1837 by Decimus Burton. The nave arcades were retained at that time, and incorporated within the new building.

VIII Comments/Opinions

IX Bibliography

J. Morris and J. Mothersill (ed.), Domesday Book: Sussex. Chichester 1976, 11.71-73.
I. Nairn and N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Sussex. Harmondsworth 1965, 230-31.