The Parish Church of the Holy Trinity, Bosham

Holy Trinity Church stands in the village of Bosham on the Sussex coast, its oldest parts dating from Saxon times. The building is made of rubble with ashlar dressing and has a tiled roof and shingled spire. The lower tower, chancel arch and tower arch remain from the Saxon period. The chancel was extended in the 12th and 13th centuries, and aisles were added to the nave around the same time. A small octagonal font from the late 12th century stands inside, supported by a thick central shaft and four slender shafts. The church is linked to important figures from early English history. Bede records that Bishop Wilfrid visited Bosham in 681 and found a small monastery led by the Irish monk Dicul. Before the Norman Conquest, King Edward the Confessor gave the church and estate to his Norman chaplain Osbern FitzOsbern, who later became Bishop of Exeter. Bosham was also the principal home of King Harold Godwinson, whose retinue appears in the Bayeux Tapestry riding to Bosham before sailing to Normandy. Visitors find a quiet church with visible layers of history. The south porch dates from the 16th or 17th century, and Roman remains have been found nearby, suggesting the site may once have held a Roman basilica. A small stone coffin found near the chancel arch in 1865 is traditionally said to belong to a daughter of King Canute. Under the chancel arch lies a well-crafted coffin discovered in 1954, though its occupant remains unidentified. The church’s interior offers a sense of continuity across centuries, from Saxon stonework to later additions.