On the hillside, beside the ruins of Bramber castle, lies St Nicholas Church. It is believed to be the oldest Norman church in England, having been built in 1073 shortly after the Norman Conquest. Although the castle is in ruins today, the church is very much in existence and stands immediately downhill of the castle gatehouse on a slope looking out over the village.
An amazingly old church - and it does seem to have a fortified tower as well. Those days must have been incredibly uncertain. Is the church still in use?
The church was used as a gun emplacement for attacking the castle during the Civil War.
The nave and chancel are the originals; the transepts were demolished in the 14th century; the tower was rebuilt in the 18th century. The church is still in use and there is a service every Sunday morning.
It is in a "picture postcard" spot between the Castle ruins at the top of the hill and the village at the bottom.
Years ago we visited friends who lived in Forest Hill just outside of Oxford. There was a St. Nicholas church there as well. We attended services one Sunday morning. I was awed by being in a church so old. It too was build about the same time as this one.
The nave and chancel are the originals; the transepts were demolished in the 14th century; the tower was rebuilt in the 18th century. The church is still in use and there is a service every Sunday morning.
It is in a "picture postcard" spot between the Castle ruins at the top of the hill and the village at the bottom.
Thanks for taking the time to leave such lovely comments - I really appreciate your time and I know how lucky I am to have such interesting buildings like St Nicholas church close by