Selmeston Church, whose dedication is unknown, was largely reconstructed in 167 by the then vicar, Chancellor W. D. Parish, and sadly very little of the original building now remains. Domesday Book records there was a church here served by a priest, whose patron was William de Cahanges, the Lord of the Manor. In the 12th century the patronage was transferred to the Bishop of Chichester, who attached it to the cathedral prebend of Heathfield to which it still belongs. The list of vicars dates from 1350 and the registers from 1667. The churchyard is, unusually, circular. There is a medieval holy water stoup in the modern porch.
Here are two pictures of the interior, one looking east into the chancel and one looking west (with Alan caught in the frame!). I assume the lever on the west wall is for ringing the church bell. The small south aisle is separated from the nave by a timber arcade of three bays supported on two octagonal wooden pillars (one is visible in the photo below) resting on modern stone bases. It is early 15th century but has been considerably restored. Such arcading is unique in Sussex churches. At the East end of the south aisle there is a brass with the following inscription:
"The body of Henry Rogers
a painfvll Preacher in this churche two
and thirty years who dyd the sixt of
May Ano dni 1639, and in the yeere
of his age 67 lyeth heere expecting
the Second Coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
I did beleeve and therefore spake
Wherof I tavght I doe pertake.
Henry Rogers."
The windows are copies of the originals: the East window being of the Decorated and the rest of the Perpendicular period.
Here are the windows from the south wall.
This window is in the wall of the vestry (behind the organ), and was difficult to photograph as the light coming from outside was limited.
Here is the east window and the window in the north wall of the nave.
This window is in the north wall of the chancel, and is my favourite of the building - mainly because I like the colour tones and balance.
The inscription reads:
"To the glory of God, and in memory of the Rev. William Douglas Parish son of Sir Woodbine Parish K.C.H., who was born xvith Dec: mdcccxxxiii and died xxiiird Sept: memin, Vicar of Selmeston cum Alriston at Chancellor of Chichester Cathedral his surviving brothers and sister dedicate this window."
Here are the font and the organ.
This interesting ledger stone and surrounding brass is in the floor in front of the chancel and is memory of Ann, widow of William Cox of Stanstead in the county of Kent and daughter of Robert and Elizabeth Rochester, who died in 1741 aged 57 years.
On the north wall of the chancel is a monument of 1532, which was originally uses as an Easter Sepulchre, and contains the following lines on the back:
"1532
Here lyeth Dam Beatris Bray
svm tyme the wyffe of Syr
Edward Bray and dawgter of
Raffe Sherley of Wyston
and Wyfe of Edward Elderton."
Also on on the North side are an inscribed ledger and brass belonging to the Caldicott family, who held Sherrington Manor from the17th to the 19th century. Other ledgers are inserted into the vestry floor, one of which has the interesting wording:
"Here lyeth ye body of Henry Rochester
Dyed May 28 1646.
Apostrophe AD
Omnes.
This life that's packt with ielovsles and fears
I love not. That's beyond the lists of fears.
That life for me, For hear I cannot breathe
my prayers ovt. There I shall have breath
to say Ovr Father that's in heaven with me
where chores of sancts and innocents there be
Christianos.
No sooner christened bvt possession
I took of the heavelie habitation.
The altar has its original marble slab with three consecration crosses. The final picture is of the 13th century piscina and a bracketed shelf in the chancel supported by two modern corbels, one praying and the other playing a harp.
Digital photographs
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