Bell 1 of 3
Founded by Charles & George Mears 1849
Dove Bell ID: 61972 Tower ID: 24595 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
West Lavington: St Mary Magdalene
Overview
Grid reference: SU 891 205
St Mary Magdalene stands on the crown of a hill, the south side of the churchyard terraced down its flank to the school at its foot. A Sussex turret to the west end gives more vertical emphasis, though this is hardly necessary given the impressive location. The church was built on a new site to a design by William Butterfield in 1850. 13th-century “Middle Pointed” Gothic in style. Despite being Butterfield’s only Sussex church, it is both absolutely correct in its handling of detail and recognisably a Butterfield creation in its determined wilfulness. At first sight this is a simple building, but the mark of a great architect is on it; it is all about massing, placement of features and articulation of detail.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
3-bay aisled nave, cedar shingled bell-turret at west end of the nave and south-west porch, 3-bay chancel.
Dimensions:
Nave estimated to be c 15m (50ft) x 4.5m (15ft), chancel 8m long (26ft).
Description of Archaeology and History
The church was built on a new site to a design by William Butterfield in 1850, at the same time as All Saints, Margaret Street in London, though obviously much more modest in scale and detail. The church was built at the end of the incumbency of the Rev Henry (later Cardinal of Westminster) Manning who was Rector of Woolavington and Graffham from 1833-51. The cost of the building was borne and the principal responsibility for its construction taken by Manning’s last Curate, the Rev Charles Laprimaudaye, who preceded Manning into the Church of Rome by a few months. It was consecrated as a parish church in 1851.
The church remains much as it was then, the only addition a wooden shed and water tank on the north side. Portable gas heaters and strip lighting within the church. In the 1960s the church interior was painted in white and pastel colours against the advice of the Victorian Society, and the fine carved marble chancel screen was cut down in height, with an oak hand-rail added.
Exterior Description
13th-century “Middle Pointed” Gothic in style. Despite being Butterfield’s only Sussex church, it is both absolutely correct in its handling of detail and recognisably a Butterfield creation in its determined wilfulness. At first sight this is a simple building, but the mark of a great architect is on it; it is all about massing, placement of features and articulation of detail. Description of the components almost misses the point, but here it is.
The west elevation is difficult to appreciate as it is hard against the west boundary hedge, unless you are the owner of what was the rectory adjacent. There is a broad projection under a 3-light pointed window with decorated tracery and a corbelled-out wooden west turret with cusped louvred openings, and short pyramid spire. There are cusped lancets in the aisle end walls, and clasping buttresses, mirroring those at the east end. The nave and chancel south walls are otherwise sheer except for a single thick buttress of two weatherings to the nave and chancel. Stone copings and finial crosses.
There are pointed 2-lights to each bay of the nave with quatrefoils in the head, with the exception of the west bay on the south side, where there is a nicely detailed gabled timber porch, which has three square windows with leaded lights in each side wall. There are 2-lights in the east aisle ends. The heads of the aisle windows are right up at the eaves of the canted roof, no clearstorey. The lower chancel has a small lancet window to the west bay and then two 2-lights, with a 3-light to the east wall. The north side has a lean-to vestry with plain doorway to the eastern bays and a single 2-light window to the west. There is a shouldered doorway in the east nave bay here.
Building Fabric and Features
Nave
19th century 3-bay aisled
Bellcote
19th century cedar shingled, at west end of nave
Porch
19th century south-west
Chancel
19th century 3-bay
Building Materials
Sandstone
19th century smooth, local
Shingle
19th century bell turret
Stone
19th century freestone dressings
Clay
19th century tile roof
Interior
Interior Description
Moving inside, the interior is whitewashed, quiet and dignified, fully pewed with attractive simple benches with curved ends and panelled backs but pleasingly clear of clutter, allowing the sparing use of ornamentation to have its intended impact. Virtually all of this is concentrated on the entrance to the chancel. Here there are oversized trumpet corbels to the east responds (these whitewashed) to the aisle arcades and even bigger ones to the chancel arch, both carved with tightly clenched tendrils.
Under them and connected by a colonette to the chancel arch corbels is a low Sussex marble chancel screen with buttresses and step and simple but effective tracery carving, which appears almost weathered as if the screen had been exposed to the elements. Who did this carving? Nairn cites the style of Lethaby, and certainly there is much reminiscent of the later Arts-and-Crafts philosophy in all the work here. Unfortunately, as noted above, the top foot or so of the screen was cut down in the 1960s, an extraordinary act which has unbalanced the composition.
The aisle arcades have octagonal piers with some delicate foliate carving to the capitals, and double-chamfered pointed arches, similar to the chancel arch, the mouldings here dying into the wall above the corbels already described. The nave roof has a crown-post construction with tie-beams and collars, painted blue as are the simpler aisle and chancel roofs.
The floors are of quarry tile, with highly inappropriate mustard yellow carpet in the sanctuary masking encaustic borders here. Good choir stalls with tracery fronts and curved ends and high backs with carved cornices against the walls. Marble reredos and internal hoodmould to the east window. Sedilia in the south wall, so simple and effective that again one would think Arts-and-Crafts.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
19th century Oak table, chamfered legs with pyramid stops to the feet. Modern chest with blind arches to front at east end of south aisle.
Reredos
19th century Tripartite Sussex marble reredos with a central gable, carved Decorated blind tracery, polychrome decoration.
Pulpit
19th century The pulpit is of oak, hexagonal with carved blind tracery panels, the bottom stage with open arches.
Lectern
19th century Brass lectern with twisted stem.
Font (component)
19th century Stone font, octagonal bowl supported by four colonettes, conical oak cover.
Stained Glass (window)
19th /20th century Some excellent 19th and early 20th-century glass: Chancel: • East window has Christ the Saviour flanked by St Mary Magdalene and Mary the Virgin. Grisaille. Dickinson family memorial, c 1915. By Powells of Whitefriars. • North chancel wall, St Anne and St Mary Magdalene, late 19th-century. • South chancel, two windows with the Four Evangelists, these with the above a scheme, by Hardman. South aisle: • East aisle window, Mary Magdalene washes Christ’s feet with her hair; by Hardman. • St James, St Andrew, Dedicated in memory of Dudley Robert Smith, died 1897. By Lavers & Westlake. • St Lawrence, St Margaret. Dedicated in memory of Emma Margaret his wife, died 1917. By Burlison and Grylls. West window, angels; elsewhere decorative floriate glass, probably by Hardman.
Inscribed Object
19th / 20th century • Two late 19th-century brass panels in memory of the Dickinson family and the Fisher family. • Slate tablet to Rev Edward Johnston, died 1959.
Plaque (component)
19th / 20th century Brass plaque in memory of James Currie, first rector, died 1878. Memorial brass plaque in memory of five men fallen in World War I. Brass panel with fine detail in memory of Charles Lucas, died of his wounds at Ypres in 1917, also in memory of his parents.
Organ (component)
20th century Small tracker action organ by James Ivemey of Southampton, thought to have come from a barracks in 1949. Tucked away in the north-west corner of the church. Replaced previous instruments by Bishop & Son (1859) and the Positive Organ Co.
Rail
19th century Brass, twisted standards, tubular hand rail.
Bells
Bell 2 of 3
Founded by Charles & George Mears 1851
Dove Bell ID: 61973 Tower ID: 24595 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Diameter: 20.88" Bell 3 of 3
Founded by Charles & George Mears 1849
Dove Bell ID: 61974 Tower ID: 24595 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Portable Furnishings and Artworks
Registers since 1851.
Glastonbury chair and Bishop's chair.
Churchyard
Grid reference: SU 891 205
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Sources
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