England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Pulborough St Mary

The Parish

The parish of Pulborough lies just northeast of the centre of the sub-county of West Sussex roughly 9 miles northeast of the town of Arundel. Pulborough sits at a major crossroads and river crossing where the A29 (London to Bognor Regis) road crosses both the A283 (Petworth to Shoreham) road and also the River Arun , as Pevsner says "a natural site for a market town" which to date has eluded Pulborough it being merely a large village. Geography has dictated the layout of the village, the river and marshy ground to its east have prevented expansion to the south, the A29 follows the ancient Roman Road from Chichester to London and climbs steeply to the north of the village limiting expansion in that direction too. Pulborough is consequently a linear village along the course of the A283 which short extensions northwards. In addition to Pulborough, itself, there are numerous hamlets and larger settlements within this extensive parish with Marehill, Codmore Hill & North Heath notable. Pulborough is its on the southern edge of The Weald, a former Royal Hunting Forest and an area of exceptionally poor soils, much of the parish would have been managed woodland & heath, the course of the Arun would also have provided extensive pastures, much of that is now a nature reserve as Pulborough Brooks. In addition to the farming the local sandstone was much sought after as it hardened upon exposure making it very suitable as a building stone. Modern developments have come to  Pulborough with the arrival of the London to Littlehampton railway which grants Pulborough a station, a branch line westwards to Midhurst has, however, closed. Also closed is the canalised stretches of the Arun. Pulborough is drained southwards by the River Arun which, here, performs an abrupt right-angled bend to head south breaching the chalk ridge of the South Downs to reach the English Channel at Littlehampton. Pulborough is sited between sea level at the Arun bridge to 40 metres in the northeastern developments, standing guard over the village to the northeast is Bromershill at 90 metres above the sea. Pulborough parish was one of the largest in its county, as are many within the Weald, covering almost 6,400 acres it would have supported a population of around 2,000 parishioners. Already by Domesday times Pulborough was a substantial settlement large enough to comfortably be placed in the top 20% of settlements by population, held by Earl Roger of Shrewsbury 19 ploughs, meadows & woodland and 2 mills made for a prosperous holding for the Earl

The Church

St Mary's church stands on the western side of the A29 (London Road) as it climbs away from the crossing of the Arun, it stands at the junction with Church Place. St Mary is a church of 2 distinctive ages with a marked contrast between the 13th century chancel and the 15th century nave & tower. The chancel and its chancel chapel to the north are both from the late 13th century and in the Early English Gothic style of that era, it shows the lancet styled windows characteristic of the period. The western end of the church is well documented such that we know almost exactly when the two main pieces were built. Will donations for the completion of the western tower can be dated to 1404 whilst further donations for the clerestoried nave and its aisles were dated to 1422, Pevsner estimates the whole was complete by 1430. The 15th century work is, obviously, in the contrasting Perpendicular style fashionable at that time. The work obviously impressed Pevsner who described it as "admirably done", rare praise indeed from the great man. The Perpendicular work is completed by the northern porch. Pevsner fails to record a Victorian restoration so if one occurred it was clearly light and sensitive. Church Place has a few parking spots for the fortunate, the church is accessed by a climb of 13 steps to the lychgate as the churchyard sits on a little knoll, it is, however, devoid of any significant obstacles for the photographer.