Coastal delights

Don't faint...I have actually emerged from my Olympian cave and met up with friends, not once, but twice over the last couple of days. On Sunday Eloise dandled the prospect of a free local history talk and a chance to explore somewhere different. You know how much I enjoy my jaunts round Sussex....I didn't need to think about it. Although I have been to Shoreham before [as featured on here], this side of the town is new to me. 

Seeing as we were down on the coast let's start with the Shoreham Lighthouse which stands looking out across the harbour. It's made of limestone and the lintel above the door says 1846. Round the black lantern at the top is a circlet of carved dolphins. It remains working to this day.

Our primary destination was at nearby Kingston Buci which once stood separate, but has now been subsumed by the extending thread of development. The locals were holding a talk and tour of their beloved parish church of St Julian. It's another of those beautiful flint churches which are quite common in that part of the county. The evidence suggests that there was an older Saxon church on this site and some remains were found in 1964. However, the present building is 13th century and one of only three in Sussex which had an anchorite cell. Upon his death the anchorite was buried below the floor and the cell was pulled down. The very fact that such an individual was here indicates that this would have been an important road and quite possible a pilgrim route over to the continent.

This piece of ecclesiastical furniture is probably one you haven't seen before as it's very possibly the only surviving 17th century singing desk. The pitch pipe was added later and would have been used to help the congregation hit the right singing note!

It's thought that at one time during the English Civil War the Roundheads might have been used the church to stable their horses and sharpen their swords on the pillars. Sadly you can see some examples of their handiwork with the damage they inflicted upon the carvings on one of the ancient tombs. It still hides a cheeky little secret though for all along the ceiling of it are Tudor roses or so you think, but if you look back over your shoulder there's this single cheeky imp sticking his tongue out at you. I've turned the photo round so that you can see him the right way up. 

There was an excavation held in the churchyard back in 1927 and they dug up a couple of stonking finds which I strongly suspect were hurriedly buried so that the Parliamentarians couldn't destroy them. One was a panel of 15th century glass and the other this rather fabulous scallop shell basin. It's described as a Saxon font, but I do wonder if it's Medieval . It's now standing in the vestry and is still used for washing the communion vessels.

Outside too this place has a few hidden treasures. The lychgate across the road has these three rather charmingly naive carvings which presumably date from 1926 when it was put up.

The enthusiasm of the volunteers was infectious and spurred on we decided to fling a final foray into the mix. Sometimes things aren't quite what they seem. The stately home frontage is from Buckingham House which was built in 1655. It had been left unoccupied and open to the elements for many years following a fire in 1905 and was due for demolition in 1954. Thankfully a local historian had the foresight to get it listed as a grade II the day beforehand and now it sits rather incongruously at the centre of a road of 1970s style Georgian houses with a 1960s block of flats attached to the back of it. The empty space is now a rather pretty communal garden. It's a place you would need to know about as it's tucked away. 

Before we headed back we both chuckled at this little notice on the bench and it seems only right and proper that having started with a lighthouse that I should finish with one of the newest knitted ones I've seen.

Such a lovely way to spend a couple of hours.

Arilx