St Cosmas and St Damian Church, Keymer

St Cosmas and St Damian Church stands in the quiet village of Keymer, a short distance north of Hassocks in West Sussex. The present building was rebuilt in 1866 on the site of an earlier church recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. It is a Grade II listed building and one of only four Anglican churches in England dedicated to the twin saints Cosmas and Damian. The dedication is rare because the saints were 4th-century Syrian doctors who healed without payment and were martyred in 303. The church also incorporates 12th-century chancel walls and an apse, showing parts of the original medieval structure. The church is worth visiting for its unusual dedication and historical layers. The rebuilding was carried out by Brighton architect Edmund Scott, who preserved the largely 14th-century style of the earlier building. Six bells were added over time, with the most recent peal installed in 1911. The churchyard contains war graves and a memorial to five soldiers from the two world wars, researched and documented by local historians. The names on the memorial have been published to preserve their stories. The advowson, or right to appoint the priest, belongs to Brasenose College, Oxford. Inside, the church has a flint-built nave with a small southwest tower and spire. The south aisle dates from 1866, while the north aisle was added in 1890. The east window retains ancient stone dressings, and the apse shows the remains of a possible original piscina. The surrounding area is a Conservation Area, noted for the church’s prominent position on higher ground visible from all approaches. The parish now includes two other churches, one of them over 900 years old, covering three villages and their rural surroundings.