England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Ford St Andrew

The Parish

The parish of Ford lies in southwestern Sussex not too far from its southern English Channel coastline and roughly 3 miles south of the town of Arundel. Ford is a small village which sits just over a mile north of the A259 road, Sussex' coastal road in this area, which links Littlehampton with Bognor Regis. Ford is a rather small village formed largely around a T-junction of lanes on the western bans of the tidal stretch of the River Arun. Always a small place Ford would have earned it income chiefly from grazing the salt-marshes alongside the Arun, much of the land being drained for that purpose. Modern developments have come to Ford, the coastal railway line from Littlehampton to Bognor Regis passing through even granting this tiny place its own railway station. More prosaically the "open prison" of HM Prison Ford stands guard to the village's south. Little more than 2 miles from the sea Ford is drained by the Arun. Ford is sited at just 3 metres above the sea on a broad, flat coastal plain, once away from this land rises to over 30 metres by the time the Arundel area is reached. Sussex has many small parishes and Ford parish was one of the smaller, covering only 470 acres it would have supported a population of a little over 50 parishioners. Ford is not specifically mentioned in Domesday Book.

The Church

St Andrew's church sits amongst fields to the east of the lane leading to Climping (Station Road) and south of Ford's main crossroads. Rightly Pevsner dubs it "one of Sussex's prettiest churches" as its neat white-washed appearance and unrestored nature mark it as special. Like many isolated rural churches it is ancient with the basic fabric dating back to the 11th century, albeit from the Norman Romanesque period rather than the Saxon. A simple nave and chancel augmented by a brick-built 17th century porch and western bellcote. Whilst the core is 11th century there are later modifications, the east window is Decorated style and early 14th century whilst its opposite number on the west is Perpendicular and late 14th century. As Pevsner cheerfully remarks there has been no Victorian restoration to marr these early features making for a delightful small rural church. The roughly surfaced lane leading east to the church is marked by a large blue sign and sits opposite Ford Lane. Outside the churchyard is a broad turning circle and parking area allowing a leisurely visit. The oblong churchyard is surrounded by large trees but within there are few obstructions for the photographer.