Coombes Church

Coombes Church stands in a quiet hamlet on the South Downs above the River Adur in West Sussex. The building has served the area since the 11th century, though parts of its walls still date from that early period. A flint church once rose here with a tower at the west end, its west window almost level with the ground. Over centuries builders added a porch, new windows and a bell-turret after the old tower collapsed in the early 18th century. The roof is covered with Horsham Stone slates common to Sussex, and the walls mix flint rubble with ashlar dressings. The church is best known for its remarkable wall paintings uncovered in 1949. The oldest date from about 1135 and include scenes such as The Visitation, the Nativity and Christ in Majesty. Some designs are later, and beneath the chancel arch a humorous sketch shows a man straining to hold up the arch with his gaping mouth. Experts believe the earliest paintings may have been created by monks from Lewes Priory, England’s first Cluniac house, with similar works still visible at Clayton, Hardham and Plumpton churches. Inside, the nave and chancel are linked by a thick arch, and the churchyard holds a rare tapsel gate unique to Sussex. An ancient crucifix found in the churchyard now stands inside, while the font’s age remains uncertain. The building is Grade I listed for its architectural and historical importance, and Anglo-Catholic services mark the agricultural year. The rural parish covers 1,280 acres bounded by the River Adur and old field lines, keeping the church tied to its quiet landscape.