East Sussex Historic Churches

St Andrew's church in Alfriston is known as the 'Cathedral of the Downs' for its impressive size. The church was built around 1370 but quite why a small village received such a large church is a mystery. Look for a 14th-century Easter Sepulchre and sedilia, and a 1733 funeral hatchment to the Vincent family.
The Tye, Alfriston, East Sussex, England, BN26 5TL

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Heritage Highlight: 14th-century Easter Sepulchre
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The tiny village of Bodiam is best known for its imposing and beautiful medieval castle on the banks of the River Rother. High above the castle on a wooded hillside, overlooking the river valley, stands the medieval parish church of St Giles, Bodiam, hidden away from the hordes of tourists who descend upon the castle.
Bodiam, East Sussex, England, TN32 5UJ

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Heritage Highlight: A lovely collection of medieval brasses
Photos of Bodiam, St Giles Church
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The church of St Thomas a Becket at Brightling stands on a shelf of high ground beside the manor of Brightling Park. The church is composed of a west tower, nave, north aisle, chancel and north chapel. The oldest sections of the building date from the 13th century (chancel, nave, and chapel), but the upper sections of the embattled tower are 14th century.
Brightling, East Sussex, England

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Heritage Highlight: The mausoleum of eccentric Mad Jack Fuller, in the shape of a pyramid, stands in the churchyard.
Photos of Brightling, St Thomas a Becket Church
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A small 13th-century church located beside the Georgian manor house of Preston Manor. Somewhat overwhelmed by its modern surroundings, St Peter's is a simple building of flint.
Preston Park, Preston Drove, Brighton, East Sussex, England, BN1 6SD

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Ewhurst Green (not to be confused with the larger village of Ewhurst or the similarly named Ewhurst Green) is a small hamlet near Bodiam, in East Sussex, overlooking historic Bodiam Castle in the valley far below. In the centre of the village, just off the green, is the parish church of St James the Great. The oldest parts of the church are 12th century, with major additions in the 14th century.
Ewhurst Green, East Sussex, England

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Heritage Highlight: 16th-century Crysford memorial brass
Photos of Ewhurst Green, St James the Great
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St Peter's church dates to the 13th century, but may stand on the site of a Roman temple. Highlights include superb 16th-century monuments to the Gage family of Firle Place and a collection of 15th and 16th-century memorial brasses. Painter Vanessa Bell, the sister of novelist Virginia Woolf, is buried in the churchyard.
The Street, Firle, East Sussex, England, BN8 6LP

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Heritage Highlight: 16th-century Gage family memorials
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St Andrew's is a lovely Grade-I listed Regency church designed in Italian Renaissance style by Sir Charles Barry in 1827. The building was enlarged in the late 19th century and remodelled in 1925.
Waterloo Street, Hove, East Sussex, England, BN3 1AQ

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The first mention of a church at Northiam comes from the 11th century, though it seems almost certain that there was an earlier church on this ridge-top spot. It seems that the church, with those at Peasmarsh and Beckley, was granted by Robert of Eu, brother of William the Conqueror, to St Mary-in-the-Castle at Hastings.
Church Lane, Northiam, East Sussex, England

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Heritage Highlight: The Frewen family chapel, decorated with heraldic designs and monuments.
Photos of Northiam, St Mary
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St Thomas the Martyr was begun in 1288 and boasts one of the finest collections of medieval tombs in England, including several to the Alard family. The church is a peculiar shape, without a nave, possibly owing to a devastating French raid on Winchelsea in 1380. Look for a stunning series of modern stained glass window by Douglas Strachan.
High Street, Winchelsea, East Sussex, England, TN36 4EB

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Heritage Highlight: Superb 14th-century tombs
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