England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Piddinghoe St John

The Parish

The parish of Piddinghoe lies in southern Sussex forming a stretch of the county's English Channel coastline and roughly 5 miles south the town of Lewes. Piddinghoe sits about a quarter mile west of the A26 road which connects Lewes with the port of Newhaven but on the opposite side of the River Ouse. Piddinghoe has to squeeze into a narrow space between the river and the steep slopes of the chalk downland that rises abruptly westwards, its northern portion lining the lane which parallels the river until a meander takes it away to the east leaving a shelf for the main portion of the village. The wider parish stretches across the downland to the coast west of Newhaven. Piddinghoe would have been a pastoral farming community, rich grazing for cattle beside the river whilst the chalk downs provided sweet grazing for sheep. Piddinghoe is drained by the Ouse the short distance to the English Channel. Piddinghoe is sited entirely below the 10 metre contour but land rises onto the Downs westwards quicjly reaching 100 metres at Southease Hill and rising to the South Downs Way National Trail at 192 metres on Swanborough Hill. Covering just under 2,700 acres Piddinghoe parish was towards the larger end of the Sussex scale, that acreage would have supported a population of around 250 parishioners. Piddinghoe is not mentioned in Domesday Book.

The Church

St John's church sits almost on the banks of the River Ouse and on the northern edge of the small village. The church has a round tower, a sign of an early church and one of only three in its county, this version is truly early being 12th century and Norman Romanesque in style. The church was clearly entirely 12th century in its initial manifestation as the northern arcade and northern wall of the nave are also of this early vintage. The southern arcade is a little later, given a tentative c1200 dating by Pevsner. Moving eastwards an Early English Gothic style is found in the chancel which must have been an extension to the Norman church, the chancel shows the characteristic lancet style of this 13th century addition. The church received a major restoration in 1882 in which the southern aisle, northern and southern chapels were rebuilt as well as a general restoration. Heading south along the main approach lane, turn left into the village and take the next left to arrive at a broad triangular parking area outside the churchyard which has no obstacles whatsoever with which the photographer must be concerned.