St John the Baptist, Kirdford, Sussex

I Location

Site Location: Kirdford
National Grid Reference: TQ 018 265
County: traditional: Sussex
now: West Sussex
Diocese: medieval: Chichester
now: Chichester
Dedication: medieval: Our Lady 16thc.
now (or name of monument): St John the Baptist
Type of building/monument: Parish Church

II General Description

Only the nave of the 12thc. church remains.

III Exterior Features

1. Doorways

(i) S doorway

: S doorway, general view

: S doorway, L capital

: S doorway, L capital

: S doorway, R capital

: S doorway, R capital, detail

Blocked S doorway, between the first and second windows from the W end of the nave, comprising two round-headed orders.

Dimensions

h. of opening	2.20 m
w. of opening	1.135 m

E capital:
h.	0.19 m
w.	0.205 m x 0.19 m

W capital:
h.	0.20 m
w.	0.22 m x 0.21 m

First order

Continuous and plain.

Second order

A slightly angular roll is carried by nook shafts in three sections, with very worn carved capitals and plain impost blocks. The bases are concealed by the brick coursing of an open drain. Traces of an angle palmette may still be distinguished on the W capital, while its compliment on the E appears to have been an unadorned cushion capital.

VII History

Kirdford was not mentioned in 1086. It was later part of the endowment of the priory of Arundel, re-founded by the Earl of Arundel as a cell of the abbey of Sez in Normandy in 1177.

16thc. wills refer to the dedication to St Mary.

VIII Comments/Opinions

The nave to which the S doorway belongs displays herringbone masonry, which concords with the early 12thc. date suggested by the capitals.

IX Bibliography

I. Nairn and N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Sussex. Harmondsworth 1965, 253.