Stopham, West Sussex

Stopham church and war memorial

Stopham is a small village on the banks of the River Rother. The village is built around a small green, where cottages stand near the early Norman church, dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin. The manor has been in the hands of the Bartlett (Barttelot) family since the time of the Domesday Book.

Memorials and brasses to the Barttelot family stand in the 11th-century church. There are three brasses, dating from the 15th century and another from the early 17th century.

The ancient bridge at Stopham is of considerable interest, being named a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The current bridge is Elizabethan, built around 1423 to replace an earlier wooden bridge (some historians have suggested dates as early as 1309). The bridge stretches 248 feet, with six arches.

The 16th-century structure was heightened in 1822 to allow masted boat traffic under the central arch. At one end of the bridge is the White Hart pub.

The manor house was built in 1485, on the site of an even earlier building. A more modern addition to village life is Stpham Vineyard, which opened in 2007.