Wisborough Green, St Peter Ad Vincula

I got up very early, 6.30am in fact to take this picture as rain was forecast for today and I wanted to complete a full set of church exteriors for Easter Week. I counted 10 cars in total in my 4 mile journey (there and back!) this morning.

The dedication is unusual, the only other I know of is at Colemore in Hampshire. St Peter Ad Vincula means St Peter In Chains. This church stands on a hill and is very prominent, especially on the south side. It dates mainly from the 12th and 13th Centuries, with the Chancel windows very similar to those at Amberley. However, the west end is Norman with the thin tower being inserted within those walls in the 13th Century. These Norman walls are very thick giving rise to the theory that the church had defensive capabilities. This seems very feasible, given the commanding position with views across to the river and the distant South Downs. The North and South doors have arches high enough to admit a person on horseback.

Fortified churches are not unusual. There are many examples in France, and in Geramny in areas such as Hessen and Carinthia in Austria where they are known as Wehrkirchen. Transylvania in modern day Romania is another area where fortified churches can be found and these were built by settlers from Saxony in Germany and many of these are now on the UNESCO World Heritage List.