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St Mary, Eastbourne, Sussex

Location
(50°46′23″N, 0°15′48″E)
Eastbourne
TV 597 995
pre-1974 traditional (England and Wales) Sussex
now East Sussex
  • Kathryn Morrison

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Description

This is an unusually large parish church, with a W tower, an aisled nave with five-bay arcades, and an aisled choir with three-bay arcades. The W bay of the nave is clearly a later addition, possibly built with the tower,c.1300. The aisles have an alternating system of round and octagonal piers, with slightly pointed arches carved with complex mouldings (including chevron, fillets, hollows and keel mouldings), and capitals displaying a wide variety of motifs including upright and wind-blown stiff-leaf, and crockets. With the exception of the chevron, this repertoire is Early English in character rather than Romanesque. The presence of the chevron makes it 'Transitional'.

History

The Church was restored in 1844 and 1873. And possibly in 1851 by Carpenter.

Features

Exterior Features

Other

Interior Features

Arches

Chancel arch/Apse arches

Arcades

Comments/Opinions

The chancel arch and choir arcades are thought to be of Caen stone.

Bibliography
G. F. Chambers, 'Contributions towards a history of Eastbourne', Sussex Archaeological Collections 14, 1862, 119-37, esp. 128-29.
H. M. Whitley, 'Eastbourne Church: its dedication and guilds', Sussex Archaeological Collections, 42, 1899, 104-10.
I. Nairn and N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Sussex. Harmondsworth 1965, 483-84.