Part 5 (1/2)
”This most commanding down is crowned with the gra.s.sy mound and trenches of an ancient earthwork, from whence there is a n.o.ble view of hill and plain. The inner slope of the green fosse is inclined at an angle pleasant to recline on, with the head just below the edge, in the summer suns.h.i.+ne. A faint sound as of a sea heard in a dream--a sibilant 'sish, sish'--pa.s.ses along outside, dying away and coming again as a fresh wave of the wind rushes through the bennets and the dry gra.s.s.”
(Richard Jefferies.)
[Ill.u.s.tration: WOLs...o...b..RY.]
The views from Ditchling, though fine, are not nearly the best, for there is a tameness in the immediate country to the north. A glorious walk, however, can be taken by keeping along the edge past ”Black Cap,”
the clump of trees about two miles east, and then either over or round Mount Harry to Lewes. Those who must see all the settlements of men should proceed downwards to Westmeston, a beautiful little place embowered in trees, some of which are magnificent in shape and size, particularly the great ash at the east of the church which is literally overshadowed by the Beacon. The building is uninteresting and the mural paintings dating from the twelfth century, which were discovered about fifty years ago, have not been preserved. It was near here that Baring Gould speaks of seeing the carca.s.ses of two horses and three calves hanging in a elm; on inquiry he was informed that this was considered ”lucky for cattle.”
About a mile and a half north and two miles east of Ditchling village is the lonely hamlet of Street. The ”Place” is a grand old house dating from the reign of the first James; behind the chimney of the hall was once a s.p.a.cious hiding place and a story is told of a Royalist fugitive who _rode into it on his horse_ and was never again seen. The restored church has a number of iron grave slabs and a monument to Martha Cogger, who was a ”Pattern of Piety and Politeness.”
Nearly two miles on the Lewes road is Plumpton, chiefly famed for its steeplechases which are held two miles away in the Weald and close to Plumpton station. The church is uninteresting. The ”Place” is an old moated house, the property of Lord Chichester. The Leonard Mascall who lived here in the sixteenth century is said to have introduced the first carp from the Danube, the moat being used as their nursery.
Notice the great V in firs on the face of the Downs; this is a memorial of the Victorian Jubliee; not particularly beautiful and leading one to speculate upon its permanence. A cutting in the chalk would probably recommend itself to the pious care of coming ages when the personage commemorated had either been entirely forgotten or had developed into a legendary heroine of fict.i.tious character. That even cuttings are not always permanent is proved close by, for only occasionally can the cross cut to commemorate the great battle of Lewes be seen; the turf shows but a different shade of green at certain times and under certain atmospheric conditions.
The road to Lewes continues under the shadow of Mount Harry and eventually drops to the Lewes-London highway near Offham, remarkable as being the first place in the south where a line of rails was used for the pa.s.sage of goods. A turn to the right and we soon reach Lewes near St. Anne's Church.
CHAPTER V
Sh.o.r.eHAM AND WORTHING
Public conveyances run from Brighton to Sh.o.r.eham several times each day by Portslade and Southwick; the railway to Worthing also follows the road and little will be lost if the traveller goes direct to New Sh.o.r.eham. Portslade and Southwick churches have some points of interest, the latter a one time church of the Knights Templar, but they are not sufficient compensation for the melancholy and depressing route. After pa.s.sing Hove the road is cut off from the sea by the eastern arm of Sh.o.r.eham Harbour, and there follows a line of gas works, coal sidings and similar eyesores, almost all the way to Sh.o.r.eham town.
However, the explorer will be amply recompensed when he arrives at the old port at the mouth of the Adur.
The original Saxon town had its beginnings at Old Sh.o.r.eham, but, as the harbour silted up, the importance of the new settlement under Norman rule, exceeded all other havens between Portsmouth and Rye. The overlords were the powerful De Braose family, who have left their name and fame over a great extent of the Suss.e.x seaboard.
[Ill.u.s.tration: PORTSLADE HARBOUR.]
King John is known to have landed here after the death of Richard, and Charles II sailed from Sh.o.r.eham after the Battle of Worcester. The fugitive came across country accompanied by Lord Wilmot, and at Brighton fell in with the Captain Tattersell, whose grave we have seen there. An arrangement was made by which he was to leave Sh.o.r.eham in the captain's vessel; this was done the next morning and the King in due time reached Fecamp safely. At the restoration the gallant captain received an annual pension of one hundred pounds.
Sh.o.r.eham is decidedly not the town to visit for an hour or two or for half a day. No one can possibly gain a correct impression of these smaller English towns by a casual call, as it were, between trains. A short stay, or two or three day visits (_not_ on ”early closing” day) is the least one can do before claiming to know the place.
New Sh.o.r.eham is almost certain to disappoint on first acquaintance. In fact it may be described as mean and shabby! Other and competent judges have felt the charm of this old Seagate and one--Algernon Charles Swinburne--has immortalized it in his glowing lines ”On the South Coast”:--
”Sh.o.r.eham, clad with the sunset glad and grave with glory that death reveres.”
Sh.o.r.eham church is second only to the Cathedral at Chichester and Boxgrove Priory in interest. As will be seen by the fragments in the churchyard a nave once made the building cruciform, and its proportions then would not have disgraced a small cathedral. A movement has been on foot for some time to rebuild the nave on the old site and an offertory box for this purpose will be seen within the church.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Sh.o.r.eHAM AND THE ADUR.]
The prevailing effect of both exterior and interior is of solemn and stately age. The upper part of the tower is Transitional with certain later additions. The base of the tower, the choir transepts, and the fragment still remaining of the nave are Norman and Transitional of very n.o.ble and dignified proportions.
The vaulting will be noticed. This is Early English, also the beautiful ornament on the capitals and the interesting mason's marks on the pillars. The marble font is a very good specimen of the square type common in this locality. A bra.s.s in the nave of a merchant and his lady should be noticed, also a piscina with trefoil ornament and a modern window in the north transept to the infants who died between 1850 and 1875. There are a number of memorials to the Hooper family hereabouts.
In this portion of the building the election of parliamentary candidates once took place.
The church owes nothing of its stateliness to a past connected with priory or monastery, it has always been a parish church and is of additional interest thereby. That it always will hold this rank is another matter; in these days of new sees one cannot tell that the parish church of to-day will not be the cathedral of to-morrow.
Certainly Sh.o.r.eham would wear the t.i.tle with dignity.
There are many quaint corners left in the town (which since 1910 has been officially styled ”Sh.o.r.eham by Sea ”), but the individuality of the place is best seen on the quay where a little s.h.i.+pbuilding is still carried on; in the reign of Edward III it supplied the Crown with a fleet of twenty-six sail. The figure-head sign of the ”Royal George”