SHIPLEY AND ITS CHURCH 2015
The little village of Shipley takes its name probably from the Saxon word meaning “the place of
pasture”, or possibly from the Old English words meaning “sheep clearing”. Although it is the second
largest parish in Sussex, it is one of the least densely populated. William de Braose, a powerful Norman
supporter of William the Conqueror, was given the manor of Shipley, including Knepp where he built
the original castle, soon after the Battle of Hastings 1066. He and his son took part in the Crusades
and were great benefactors of Shipley Church, which is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin. The estates
at Shipley were later passed on to the Knights Templar, a religious order of fighting monks founded in
1119 whose job it was to protect pilgrims on their journey to the Holy Land.
The church is one of the oldest Norman churches in Sussex and dates from the 12th Century,
contemporary with Chichester Cathedral, and was built by the Knights Templar on the site of a smaller
Saxon church, probably of wattle and daub construction. The West door has particularly fine carved
stonework, the nave and chancel are separated by a massive tower with walls almost three metres
thick. The two tall chancel arches are of different design and both beautifully carved in typical Norman
fashion, one ending in corbels shaped like grotesque heads. The south wall has double-splayed
windows, rare in a church of this date, hinting at Saxon design. The wooden porch protecting the
south door is 14th century and contains a medieval bollard said to have been used to moor up boats
at the nearby river dock that served the village. Some of the walls contain pale Caen stone from
Normandy which must have been transported by boat across the Channel and then up the River Adur
to Shipley. The river is still tidal even this far inland.
The church underwent considerable renovation work during 1893 when the north aisle and vestry
were added, and earlier work in 1830 included the removal of the medieval spire which had become
unsafe. Apart from these works, the structure of the building and openings on the south side remains
as built by the Norman craftsmen.
The large churchyard has for many years housed a small flock of sheep, much as it would have done
nine hundred years ago. These keep the grass down between the gravestones. John Ireland the
composer was buried here in 1962, his grave marked by two prehistoric sarsen stones. His greatest
pleasure was to sit in the south porch enjoying the view over the water meadows.
The stained glass windows include six by C E Kempe, Master of Glass (1837-1907) and all are
particularly beautiful. Their renovation was completed in 2009, and the six bells high in the tower were
sent to the Whitechapel Bell Foundry for refurbishment and rehung in 2010. But, not surprisingly for
a Grade One Listed Building, further repairs have become necessary after time and weather have
played their part. This year the main conservation project will be the re-pointing of the West front
elevation with lime mortar – this means patiently chipping away the old pointing and afterwards
applying the lime based mortar to restore the wall to its original Norman appearance. The work is
planned to start this April for about six weeks and serious fundraising is underway. Gifts and grants
make these projects possible, as parish churches do not receive any state funding for restoration work
but have to raise the money entirely themselves.
Shipley church is open to visitors every day of the year during daylight hours and is situated within the
Shipley Conservation Area. From the church there leads a network of footpaths and bridleways, all of
which are well used and have many points of historical interest along their ways. Some are old drove
roads linking pasturelands and farms on the South Downs with the market towns inland such as
Horsham. The writer, historian and poet Hilaire Belloc lived at Kingsland in the centre of Shipley village
and also owned the windmill alongside it, which was affectionately known as “Mrs Shipley” – you
might recognise it as the smock mill was used in the TV series Jonathan Creek.
There are ample refreshments available in Shipley parish – three excellent public houses open every
day: The Countryman Inn in the hamlet of Whitehall, to the south of the village centre, The George
and Dragon in Dragons Green, to the north and The Selsey Arms along the A272 at Coolham. So after
your long walk around the footpaths and woodlands you don’t have to go far to quench that thirst!
ST MARY THE VIRGIN CHURCH, SHIPLEY - REGULAR SERVICES
1ST Sunday: 10.00am Holy Communion (with Sunday Club in the Andrew Hall – all ages)
2nd Sunday: 10.00am Holy Communion
3rd Sunday: 10.00am Family Service
4th Sunday: 10.00am Holy Communion
5th Sunday when occurring: Sung Matins
FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
Saturday 13th June – Safari Supper fundraising event
Sunday 5th July – Open Gardens around Shipley Village with teas
Sunday 30th August – NGS Garden opening at Durrance Manor, Smithers Hill, Shipley with teas
September (t.b.c.) – Car Boot sale at Coolham
October – Harvest Thanksgiving and Supper
Sunday 8th November – Remembrance Day Service in Church
December – Christingle services, carol singing around the village, Lessons and Carols (Sunday
before Christmas), Crib Service (Christmas Eve), Midnight Eucharist 24th December