Erringham chapel
Encyclopedia
Erringham chapel is a former place of worship in the deserted medieval village
of Old Erringham, north of Shoreham-by-Sea
in the district of Adur, one of seven local government districts in the English
county of West Sussex
. Founded in the 11th century as a chapel of ease
to St Nicolas' Church
in the Saxon
riverside village of Old Shoreham, it was in use for several centuries until depopulation caused Old Erringham to become unviable as a settlement. The chapel fell into ruin, and its remains have been incorporated into a barn on the farm which now occupies the site of the village. English Heritage
has listed the remaining structure at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance.
—the area covered by the present-day town of Shoreham-by-Sea
and its rural hinterland—was first settled during the Iron Age
, and also saw Roman
activity. During the Saxon era
it became a prosperous agricultural area. Two villages developed next to the river: Old Shoreham, about 1 miles (1.6 km) north of the English Channel
and the river estuary
, and Old Erringham, another mile to the north. Old Shoreham became important enough to support a large church—St Nicolas' Church
—by about 900, and its population at the time of the Domesday survey
in 1086 was 76. Erringham is believed to have been founded as an exclusively agricultural settlement by a Saxon named Erra, who may have had a homestead
there (archaeological evidence discovered in 1964 supports this; the remains of a Saxon hut were found). Seven people were recorded as living in Erringham in 1086.
A chapel of ease
was built to serve the settlement in the 11th century. It was never parish
ed, and was always administered from St Nicolas' Church. The flint
and stone structure had a chancel
and a nave
. Some structural work may have been carried out in the 12th and 13th centuries as well, as Erringham briefly grew more important: by the 13th century it had a manor house
and windmill
, and its population was nearly the same as that of Old Shoreham. William de Braose, 1st Lord of Bramber
held the chapel and its mother church at the time of the Domesday survey in 1086; soon afterwards he or his son Philip
founded the new town of New Shoreham at the river estuary and built a third church, dedicated to St Mary de Haura
, there.
The chapel continued in service for about 300 years, but the rapid decline of Old Erringham village led to its abandonment. Because the village was thriving in the 13th century and was reliant on agriculture, its depopulation has been explained by a combination of the Black Death
of the mid-14th century, changes in farming methods, and alterations in the flow of the nearby River Adur
(which affected how the land could be farmed). By the 16th century, only one farm survived. The chapel fell into disrepair: the nave disappeared (although its foundations can still be seen) and only the chancel was left standing. This was converted into a barn on the farm.
The structure is still known as, and marked on maps as, "The Chapel". The east wall retains a stone-mullion
ed two-light window of the "Transitional" style between Norman
and English Gothic architecture
(a style also employed in the substantial parish church of New Shoreham, St Mary de Haura Church
, in the late 12th century). The north and south walls each have one small Norman-era lancet window
. The entrance door is in the west wall. Modern additions include an iron roof and a concrete floor.
Erringham chapel was listed at Grade II by English Heritage
on 8 May 1950. Such buildings are defined as being "nationally important and of special interest". As of February 2001, it was one of 106 Grade II listed buildings, and 119 listed buildings of all grades, in Adur district.
Deserted medieval village
In the United Kingdom, a deserted medieval village is a former settlement which was abandoned during the Middle Ages, typically leaving no trace apart from earthworks or cropmarks. If there are fewer than three inhabited houses the convention is to regard the site as deserted; if there are more...
of Old Erringham, north of Shoreham-by-Sea
Shoreham-by-Sea
Shoreham-by-Sea is a small town, port and seaside resort in West Sussex, England. Shoreham-by-Sea railway station is located less than a mile from the town centre and London Gatwick Airport is away...
in the district of Adur, one of seven local government districts in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
. Founded in the 11th century as a chapel of ease
Chapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
to St Nicolas' Church
St Nicolas' Church, Shoreham-by-Sea
St Nicolas' Church is an Anglican church in Old Shoreham, an ancient inland settlement that is now part of the town of Shoreham-by-Sea in the district of Adur, one of seven local government districts in the English county of West Sussex. It was founded on a riverside site by Anglo-Saxons at the...
in the Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
riverside village of Old Shoreham, it was in use for several centuries until depopulation caused Old Erringham to become unviable as a settlement. The chapel fell into ruin, and its remains have been incorporated into a barn on the farm which now occupies the site of the village. English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
has listed the remaining structure at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance.
History
The east bank of the River AdurRiver Adur
The Adur is a river in Sussex, England; it gives its name to the Adur district of West Sussex. The river was formerly navigable for large vessels up as far as Steyning, where there was a large port, but over time the river valley became silted up and the port moved down to the deeper waters nearer...
—the area covered by the present-day town of Shoreham-by-Sea
Shoreham-by-Sea
Shoreham-by-Sea is a small town, port and seaside resort in West Sussex, England. Shoreham-by-Sea railway station is located less than a mile from the town centre and London Gatwick Airport is away...
and its rural hinterland—was first settled during the Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
, and also saw Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
activity. During the Saxon era
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
it became a prosperous agricultural area. Two villages developed next to the river: Old Shoreham, about 1 miles (1.6 km) north of the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
and the river estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
, and Old Erringham, another mile to the north. Old Shoreham became important enough to support a large church—St Nicolas' Church
St Nicolas' Church, Shoreham-by-Sea
St Nicolas' Church is an Anglican church in Old Shoreham, an ancient inland settlement that is now part of the town of Shoreham-by-Sea in the district of Adur, one of seven local government districts in the English county of West Sussex. It was founded on a riverside site by Anglo-Saxons at the...
—by about 900, and its population at the time of the Domesday survey
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
in 1086 was 76. Erringham is believed to have been founded as an exclusively agricultural settlement by a Saxon named Erra, who may have had a homestead
Homestead (buildings)
A homestead is either a single building, or collection of buildings grouped together on a large agricultural holding, such as a ranch, station or a large agricultural operation of some other designation.-See also:* Farm house* Homestead Act...
there (archaeological evidence discovered in 1964 supports this; the remains of a Saxon hut were found). Seven people were recorded as living in Erringham in 1086.
A chapel of ease
Chapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
was built to serve the settlement in the 11th century. It was never parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
ed, and was always administered from St Nicolas' Church. The flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
and stone structure had a chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
and a nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
. Some structural work may have been carried out in the 12th and 13th centuries as well, as Erringham briefly grew more important: by the 13th century it had a manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
and windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
, and its population was nearly the same as that of Old Shoreham. William de Braose, 1st Lord of Bramber
William de Braose, 1st Lord of Bramber
William de Braose , First Lord of Bramber was previously lord of Briouze, Normandy. He was granted lands in England by William the Conqueror soon after he and his followers had invaded and controlled Saxon England.- Norman victor :De Braose was given extensive lands in Sussex by 1073...
held the chapel and its mother church at the time of the Domesday survey in 1086; soon afterwards he or his son Philip
Philip de Braose
Philip de Braose, 2nd Lord of Bramber was an Anglo-Norman nobleman and Marcher Lord.-Early career:His father, William de Braose had participated in the victory at the Battle of Hastings in support of William the Conqueror. He had been rewarded with a barony and lands in Sussex and the Welsh Marches...
founded the new town of New Shoreham at the river estuary and built a third church, dedicated to St Mary de Haura
St Mary de Haura Church, Shoreham-by-Sea
St Mary de Haura Church is an Anglican church in the ancient "New Shoreham" area of Shoreham-by-Sea in the district of Adur, one of seven local government districts in the English county of West Sussex...
, there.
The chapel continued in service for about 300 years, but the rapid decline of Old Erringham village led to its abandonment. Because the village was thriving in the 13th century and was reliant on agriculture, its depopulation has been explained by a combination of the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
of the mid-14th century, changes in farming methods, and alterations in the flow of the nearby River Adur
River Adur
The Adur is a river in Sussex, England; it gives its name to the Adur district of West Sussex. The river was formerly navigable for large vessels up as far as Steyning, where there was a large port, but over time the river valley became silted up and the port moved down to the deeper waters nearer...
(which affected how the land could be farmed). By the 16th century, only one farm survived. The chapel fell into disrepair: the nave disappeared (although its foundations can still be seen) and only the chancel was left standing. This was converted into a barn on the farm.
The structure is still known as, and marked on maps as, "The Chapel". The east wall retains a stone-mullion
Mullion
A mullion is a vertical structural element which divides adjacent window units. The primary purpose of the mullion is as a structural support to an arch or lintel above the window opening. Its secondary purpose may be as a rigid support to the glazing of the window...
ed two-light window of the "Transitional" style between Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
and English Gothic architecture
English Gothic architecture
English Gothic is the name of the architectural style that flourished in England from about 1180 until about 1520.-Introduction:As with the Gothic architecture of other parts of Europe, English Gothic is defined by its pointed arches, vaulted roofs, buttresses, large windows, and spires...
(a style also employed in the substantial parish church of New Shoreham, St Mary de Haura Church
St Mary de Haura Church, Shoreham-by-Sea
St Mary de Haura Church is an Anglican church in the ancient "New Shoreham" area of Shoreham-by-Sea in the district of Adur, one of seven local government districts in the English county of West Sussex...
, in the late 12th century). The north and south walls each have one small Norman-era lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
. The entrance door is in the west wall. Modern additions include an iron roof and a concrete floor.
Erringham chapel was listed at Grade II by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
on 8 May 1950. Such buildings are defined as being "nationally important and of special interest". As of February 2001, it was one of 106 Grade II listed buildings, and 119 listed buildings of all grades, in Adur district.