which had been used previously. This is a very curious example, being, I conceive, of Dec. date at least, of more humble pretensions, but not much later, than Sore Place in Kent, described under Plaxtole, and might easily be restored, the only injuries, beside those above mentioned, being the loss of the chimney-shaft, and the walls being occasionally broken through to form doors and windows. In the interior some ancient doors, with their iron-work, still remain; and also some of the old window-shutters.[1]—Immediately south of the churchyard are some ruins of the ancient manor-house.
Charleston, in the parish of West Dean, lying near the mouth of the next valley north of the church, now a farm, must have been of importance in former times. It is asserted, "The chapel still exists, and is used as a granary; at one end is a semicircular arch, of considerable antiquity." (Horsfield's Suss. I, 282.) This statement is incorrect. A small portion of the ancient mansion still forms part of the present residence, with offices beneath it, and contains a two-light Tr. Norm. or early E.E. window, with another very small one at the farther end of the same part of the building; but what was the nature of the apartment, to which they belonged, does not appear, most probably not to the chapel.
75. Dean, West, West Sussex.—Dallaway affirms this parish to have been united with Binderton, which however does not appear from (Val. Eccl.), and that "West Dean anciently contained the chapelries of Binderton and Chilgrove, in neither of which divine service is now performed:" but no authority is produced. See Binderton. Chilgrove lies north-westward from West Dean, about midway between that village and East Marden. I have no other notice, beside the above by Dallaway, of the chapel at Chilgrove.—King Alfred possessed a residence at Dean in Sussex, memorable as the spot where his future servant and historian, Bp. Asser, had the first interview with him. "Usque ad regionem dexteralium Saxonum, quæ Saxonice Suthscaxum appellatur—perveni; ibique ilium in villa regia, quæ dicitur Dene, primitus vidi. I reached the region of the right-hand Saxons, which in their language is called Southsax; and there saw him for the first time at a royal seat, which is called Dene." (Asser's Alfred, by Wise, 47.) There is no clue
- ↑ The above account of the church and parsonage of West Dean has been anticipated by a more detailed description, with illustrations, by the Rev. G. M. Cooper, in the third volume (for 1850) of the Sussex Archæological Collections, pp. 13-22.
