St. Peter's Church, Southease
The church, of which the invocation is unknown, stands at the northern end of the village, just beneath the main road, and at the north-west edge of the village green. It is built of flint and rubble, with stone dressings. It consists of a nave, the eastern end of which forms the chancel, a circular western tower, and a south porch. It had in addition a chancel, and short aisles on either side of the eastern part of the nave. These aisles are in the form of pre-Conquest portici, and as the nave is apparently of the pre-Conquest period, the vanished aisles may have been contemporary with it. The only visible connexion between aisles and nave, however, is by a single late12th-century arch, now blocked, in each of the side walls of the latter. The west tower is a 12th-century addition to the nave. There is no trace of any chancel arch, nor any remains above ground of either chancel or aisles. The foundations, however, were discovered during recent years, and their angles have been marked out with metal strips let into the turf.
The present east window is an early-14th-century one of three lights, and there are two two-light 15thcentury ones in the south wall of the church, the eastern angles of which are supported by heavy modern buttresses. Between the two windows noted above, is a tall, modern single-light window, having a modern buttress just to the east of it. The south door is 14thcentury, and is covered by a restored 16th-century porch. Just east of this is a 14th-century buttress, and a modern one supports the south-west angle of the nave. Just west of the porch is a small mid-12th-century window. In the north-east corner of the church may be seen the arch leading to the vanished north aisle, in the south wall of which are a piscina and a bracket to carry a beam, possibly a rood-beam. The filling of the arch has a small single-light 13th-century window in it. West of the arch is a small single-light window, blocked, with a semicircular head and raking jambs. Adjoining this window is a modern single-light window, and another has been cut through the filling of the ancient north door. In 1916 some medieval floor-tiles were uncovered outside this door, which suggests that it may at one time have had a timber porch. The circular tower is an addition to the nave and is very plain, being capped by a steep conical roof.
The interior of the east end of the church shows, on either side, the blocked arches leading to the vanished aisles. They are obtusely pointed, very plain, and spring from simple late-12th-century impost mouldings. The northern arch has in it the single-light window already mentioned. The southern arch has a two-light 15thcentury window, and this has replaced an elaborate window, apparently of the 13th century, the western jamb of which remains, with a hollow chamfer stopped at its foot with a stiff-leaf trefoil. The present chancel was formed in the 15th century by constructing an oak rood-screen and loft, the sawn-off ends of the beam of which remain. Some of the original colour may be seen on the eastern face of the north side of the screen-jambs. Practically the whole of the screen has been removed, and a modern timber arch inserted. A modern window fills the space once occupied by the entrance to the rood-loft. To the west of the screen, high up in the north wall, may be seen the wide reveal of the early window noted on the exterior of the church. It is remarkable in that it has no splay, and this fact, coupled with the rake of the external jambs, suggests that the window is pre-Conquest or very early Norman in date. High up in the north-east corner of the church is a small length of a very coarsely formed string-course or internal cornice, which seems almost certainly pre-Conquest. At the south-west corner of the nave may be seen the deeply splayed later Norman window.
There is a simple rectangular aumbry in the northeast corner of the church, and in the eastern reveal of the south door is a stoup formed from a Norman cubical capital, apparently once the head of a pillar piscina. The font is plain, probably later 12th century, and has been repaired. There is a good altar-rail of early-17thcentury character, and some of the old pews remain. These may be late-16th-century; some of them are carved with bands of ornament. There is a Georgian Royal Arms painted on a panel. The church is notable for its mural paintings, carefully restored in 1934–5. The line of the early string-course noted above has been carried along the north wall with an ornamented cheveron pattern. Below this is a series of scenes depicting the Life of Christ. These paintings are considered to date from the middle of the 13th century. The west wall has a Majesty above extensive subjects now indecipherable. These are believed to date from the end of the 13th century. Two painted consecration crosses may be seen on either side of the tower door.
In the chancel is the grave of Dr. Edward Boughen, a notable royalist divine, who died 9 November 1653.
The tower contains two medieval bells, one of which, considered to be late-13th-century, is inscribed with the name of the founder, John Aleyn.
The church possesses a communion cup having a preReformation foot, and a paten probably dating from about 1500 with an added foot marked for 1568.
The registers date from 1556.
From wiki
A convenient water tap and bench in front of the church offers a good spot for South Downs Way walkers to take 5.
St. Peter's Church, Southease
The church, of which the invocation is unknown, stands at the northern end of the village, just beneath the main road, and at the north-west edge of the village green. It is built of flint and rubble, with stone dressings. It consists of a nave, the eastern end of which forms the chancel, a circular western tower, and a south porch. It had in addition a chancel, and short aisles on either side of the eastern part of the nave. These aisles are in the form of pre-Conquest portici, and as the nave is apparently of the pre-Conquest period, the vanished aisles may have been contemporary with it. The only visible connexion between aisles and nave, however, is by a single late12th-century arch, now blocked, in each of the side walls of the latter. The west tower is a 12th-century addition to the nave. There is no trace of any chancel arch, nor any remains above ground of either chancel or aisles. The foundations, however, were discovered during recent years, and their angles have been marked out with metal strips let into the turf.
The present east window is an early-14th-century one of three lights, and there are two two-light 15thcentury ones in the south wall of the church, the eastern angles of which are supported by heavy modern buttresses. Between the two windows noted above, is a tall, modern single-light window, having a modern buttress just to the east of it. The south door is 14thcentury, and is covered by a restored 16th-century porch. Just east of this is a 14th-century buttress, and a modern one supports the south-west angle of the nave. Just west of the porch is a small mid-12th-century window. In the north-east corner of the church may be seen the arch leading to the vanished north aisle, in the south wall of which are a piscina and a bracket to carry a beam, possibly a rood-beam. The filling of the arch has a small single-light 13th-century window in it. West of the arch is a small single-light window, blocked, with a semicircular head and raking jambs. Adjoining this window is a modern single-light window, and another has been cut through the filling of the ancient north door. In 1916 some medieval floor-tiles were uncovered outside this door, which suggests that it may at one time have had a timber porch. The circular tower is an addition to the nave and is very plain, being capped by a steep conical roof.
The interior of the east end of the church shows, on either side, the blocked arches leading to the vanished aisles. They are obtusely pointed, very plain, and spring from simple late-12th-century impost mouldings. The northern arch has in it the single-light window already mentioned. The southern arch has a two-light 15thcentury window, and this has replaced an elaborate window, apparently of the 13th century, the western jamb of which remains, with a hollow chamfer stopped at its foot with a stiff-leaf trefoil. The present chancel was formed in the 15th century by constructing an oak rood-screen and loft, the sawn-off ends of the beam of which remain. Some of the original colour may be seen on the eastern face of the north side of the screen-jambs. Practically the whole of the screen has been removed, and a modern timber arch inserted. A modern window fills the space once occupied by the entrance to the rood-loft. To the west of the screen, high up in the north wall, may be seen the wide reveal of the early window noted on the exterior of the church. It is remarkable in that it has no splay, and this fact, coupled with the rake of the external jambs, suggests that the window is pre-Conquest or very early Norman in date. High up in the north-east corner of the church is a small length of a very coarsely formed string-course or internal cornice, which seems almost certainly pre-Conquest. At the south-west corner of the nave may be seen the deeply splayed later Norman window.
There is a simple rectangular aumbry in the northeast corner of the church, and in the eastern reveal of the south door is a stoup formed from a Norman cubical capital, apparently once the head of a pillar piscina. The font is plain, probably later 12th century, and has been repaired. There is a good altar-rail of early-17thcentury character, and some of the old pews remain. These may be late-16th-century; some of them are carved with bands of ornament. There is a Georgian Royal Arms painted on a panel. The church is notable for its mural paintings, carefully restored in 1934–5. The line of the early string-course noted above has been carried along the north wall with an ornamented cheveron pattern. Below this is a series of scenes depicting the Life of Christ. These paintings are considered to date from the middle of the 13th century. The west wall has a Majesty above extensive subjects now indecipherable. These are believed to date from the end of the 13th century. Two painted consecration crosses may be seen on either side of the tower door.
In the chancel is the grave of Dr. Edward Boughen, a notable royalist divine, who died 9 November 1653.
The tower contains two medieval bells, one of which, considered to be late-13th-century, is inscribed with the name of the founder, John Aleyn.
The church possesses a communion cup having a preReformation foot, and a paten probably dating from about 1500 with an added foot marked for 1568.
The registers date from 1556.
From wiki
A convenient water tap and bench in front of the church offers a good spot for South Downs Way walkers to take 5.