Lullington Church

Lullington Church stands on the South Downs in East Sussex. It is also called the Church of the Good Shepherd. The building comes from the remains of an earlier church destroyed by fire, probably in Cromwell’s time. It measures 24 square metres and seats twenty people. The original church dated from the late 12th or early 13th century and was once a chapel in Alfriston parish, owned by Battle Abbey. Later it became a separate parish, and a 1521 will mentions a statue of St Zita inside. The church’s history includes a 1927 merger with Alfriston parish. Its original dedication is unknown, but in 2000 the Bishop of Chichester dedicated it to the Good Shepherd. A harmonium from the late 19th century still stands inside. The building is claimed among several to be England’s smallest church, though it is not officially the smallest. Visitors find a quiet flint building with a single room. The harmonium plays in a 2003 song by Sea Power, recorded here with no other instruments. The church sits close to the South Downs Way, surrounded by open downland. Its small size and peaceful setting make it a modest but memorable place to visit.