England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
East Dean by Chichester All Saints

The Parish

The parish of East Dean by Chichester, the qualifier is necessary as Sussex has 2 East Deans, one for each sub-county, lies in southwestern Sussex roughly 6 miles northeast of the city of Chichester. East Dean sits a little under 2 miles east of the A286 road which connects Chichester with Midhurst. East Dean sits within a shallow dry valley within the South Downs, its shape is derived from lining the valley bottom for a quarter mile with concentrations of properties either side of the intermittent stream-course. The poor soils of the chalk downs were unsuited to early agriculture so the predominant economic force was pastoral farming with sheep the mainstay of the local economy, today, with modern machinery & fertilisers, the landscape has become much more arable. In glacial times the River Lavant flowed along this dry valley, its course today rarely occupied until West Dean from where water heads south passing through Chcihester to the nearby English Channel. East Dean occupies a rising site, the western properties at 75 metres whilst those at the eastern end rise to 90 metres, on either side to north and south rolling downland rises to local high spots of almost 220 metres on Waltham Down to the northeast. East Dean parish encompassed a large area of the South Downs, an area of almost 4,700 acres within which it would have supported a population of almost 450 parishioners. East Dean is not mentioned in Domesday Book which has only light coverage in this area.

The Church

All Saints' church sits to the north of the village on the western side of Newhouse Lane , a dead end and rather narrow lane headed for Newhouse Farm before becoming a pair of bridleways that head for the crest of the Downs and the course of the South Downs Way National Trail. The church has a cruciform layout, a design typical of an early church in which it doesn't disappoint. The earliest part of the church, including its central crossing tower are from the 12th century and Norman Romanesque in style, Pevsner believes it shows evidence of having been in construction into the start of the 13th century, so definitely crossing into the later Early English Gothic styles. Truely of the 12th century is the sumptuous southern doorway showing roll-mouldings characteristic of Norman Romanesque styling. The 13th century is properly represented by twin blocked arches on the eastern side of the nave. Pevsner notes that the transepts are dated concurrently, the northern completed first around c1300 and primarily Early English Gothic whilst the southern carries the date c1340 and is Decorated in style. Sadly much else is lost in the thorough restoration of 1870 which Pevsner states "renewed and hardened the details". Parking for the church is best within the main village as Newhouse Lane is very narrow, it is only a short climb. Approached through dense trees that theme continues into the churchyard, the church being set tight to the foliage-rich southern edges removing the favoured aspects from the photographer's portfolio and making for a challenging subject on a sunny day.