<< Text Pages >> Carved stone in Steyning Church - Early Christian Sculptured Stone in England in West Sussex
Submitted by Andy B on Wednesday, 25 May 2022 Page Views: 690
Early Medieval (Dark Age)Site Name: Carved stone in Steyning ChurchCountry: England
NOTE: This site is 1.628 km away from the location you searched for.
County: West Sussex Type: Early Christian Sculptured Stone
Nearest Village: Steyning
Map Ref: TQ1791211392
Latitude: 50.889989N Longitude: 0.324946W
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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The name of this West Sussex town is Saxon and is thought to mean "people of the stone". Another relevant placename within Steyning itself is given to what was a small meadow west of the church. Originally called "Stonegardeyn", it later became known as "Stone Croft" (Bloxam 1864 p.239). One possible candidate for the stone that Steyning was named after was found built into the church. On the 12th of August 1938, a new heating system was installed in the church and the opportunity was taken to raise this stone, which was used as one of the steps in the eastern entrance of the church.
The step was unusual in appearance and the carving shown in the photograph was found on the underside when the stone was lifted Cox 1938 p.707.
The stone is 5'8" tall and varies in width between 1'3" and 1'8". At first glance it appears to be but a grave slab, but it has been pointed out by Cox that the top is weathered but the bottom is not, which would suggest that it has been standing rather than lying on the ground. He also points out that the cross motif near the centre of the stone, the only recognisable christian symbol, is cut deeper than the other symbols. This he says to be a later addition, used to 'Christianise' the otherwise pagan stone. The problem with this, is the cross does not appear to be cut over a previous carving, but on a blank space, though there are signs of a vague circle surrounding the cross. It may be an original carving, a later carving within the older circle, or an ancient carving recut to highlight an existing symbol. One author tells us of a legend that St. Cuthman brought down a pagan stone that the people here were worshipping, but that may be a modern legend derived from the analysis of the placename (Candlin 1985 p.55).
Another possibility was mentioned by Dr. Gideon Mantell, the famous Sussex geologist. In his journal on 25th June 1825, he says of Steyning : "We visited the church, which contains some of the richest Saxon arches I ever beheld. Discovered the 'firestone' towards the North East of the town." (Spokes 1936 p.288). Dr. Mantell was wrong about the Saxon work, the church is Norman, and raises the possibility that the stone pictured is an example of an early grave slab, examples of which have been found at Chithurst Church, which is of a similar date to Steyning Church. (Johnston 1912 p.105). Such stones in the fabric of churches are not unknown, but it is still unclear why such slabs were treated in this manner. Was it pragmatism because of a lack of decent building stone, or was the stone really ancient and therefore of little importance to the populace? (E.A.M. 1939 p.141).
Source (with reference details) http://www.sussexarch.org.uk/saaf/stones.html#sites12
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