Follow the brown signs

A church that still welcomes wayfarers

St Botolph`s Church is of charming flint construction and stands on a slight rise above the River Adur.

Today with just a house or two for company it is hard to imagine that 700 years ago it was at the heart of a bustling port and crossing place of the river. As the river changed course and silted-up the population gradually moved away and since Tudor times the church has served a tiny farming community.

The south door carries the date 1630 in delightful graffiti and leads into a homely and welcoming interior. The tall chancel arch dates from late Saxon times and is surrounded by the ghosts of medieval wall paintings whilst the three huge blocked arches in the north wall show where a north aisle has been demolished to match its reduced circumstances.

The church has given its name to the place – St Botolph is patron saint of wayfarers – and today it receives many visitors walking the South Downs Way which crosses the river nearby.

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