St Andrew's Church, Alfriston
St Andrew's Church, Alfriston | |
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Greek Cross | |
Specifications | |
Length | 115 feet (35 m) |
Nave width | 70 feet (21 m) |
Bells | 6 |
St Andrew's Church is the parish church of Alfriston, East Sussex, England. This Grade I listed building[1] was built in the 1370s and is also known as the 'Cathedral of the Downs'.[2] It sits on a small, flint-walled mound, indicating that it was the site of a pre-Christian place of worship,[3] in the middle of 'the Tye' (the local village green), overlooking the River Cuckmere, and is surrounded by the flowered graveyard. It is built in the form of a Greek cross.[4]
Features
No records or monuments indicate who commissioned the church's construction. A consistent architectural style throughout indicates that it was built all at once. Typically, completing such a building before tastes and building techniques have changed is possible only when an individual or family has sponsored the construction, and that person would be buried in the church's graveyard or entombed within. However, St Andrew's does not have any grand tomb or memorial, nor any records indicating who a patron might be. Additionally, there was no
However, on the left-hand side of the south porch there is a
The church's architectural style has been described as an obvious example of the transition from
Every year the church hosts a model Christmas Nativity on the altar.
Next to it is the
Exterior
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Canonical sundial
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Position of the sundial
See also
References
- ^ Historic England. "Parish church of St Andrew, Alfriston (1043353)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- ^ Franks, Alan (17 April 2009). "Times Walks: Seven Sisters, Alfriston, East Sussex". The Times. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
- ^ a b "Why exactly was St Andrew's Church built?". Sussex Express. 11 December 2009. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
- ^ a b Godfrey, Walter; Piper, Cecil; Fox-Wilson, Frank (2006). A Guide to St Andrew's Church, Alfriston. p. 2.
- ^ Betjeman, John (1968). Collins Pocket Guide to English Parish Churches - The South. London: Collins. p. 387.