Lyminster, West Sussex

The Six Bells, Lyminster

Lyminster is a lovely village near the south coast of West Sussex. The settlement dates to at least the 9th century, for it is mentioned in the will of Alfred the Great. A famous tale is associated with Lyminster; it is said that a dragon terrorised the neighbourhood from its lair in a deep pool, known as Knuckler Hole, which can be seen northwest of the parish church of St Mary Magdalene.

The dragon became such a scourge that the king of Wessex promised the hand of his daughter in marriage to anyone who could kill the beast. A hero was found, though depending which version of the tale you listen to, this was either a gallant knight or a local farm boy named Jim Pulk. Whatever his identity, the hero killed the dragon after a fierce fight.

In the church is a Norman coffin slab called 'Slayer's Stone', said to be the resting place of the dragon-slayer. Arundel Castle can easily be seen from the village. This grand Victorian castle is built around the remnants of a genuine Norman motte and bailey castle.

Lyminster was home to a royal minster of Benedictine nuns during the Saxon period. Around 1082, the minster was refounded as Lyminster Priory by the powerful Norman nobleman Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Sussex.  The priory was dissolved around 1414 and the monastic church becme the parish church of St Mary Magdalene.