Foreword
The large form of St Leonard’s Church has dominated the town of Seaford for hundreds of years but many local people do not realise that the Church has many interesting features.
I truly love the building and respect and admire the staff and the worshipers here who ensure that its character, as a focus for the people of Seaford, remains after hundreds of years. You will get a warm welcome whenever you visit the Church but remember that it costs thousands of pounds to keep it open so a donation in the offertory box, however small will be gratefully received. If you live locally also consider joining the congregation at one of the daily services.
The first part of this document gives a history of the Church. The second part is a walk (or guided tour) around the building and Church-yard. Information has been gleaned from many sources but particularly from the “descriptive, historical and pictorial guide” to the Church by J.G. Taylor published in 1937.
Early Seaford and the Norman Invasion
Unlike nearby Bishopstone, there is no record of a Church at Seaford prior to the Norman invasion. We know that there has been a settlement here for over 6, 000 years, evidenced by the Neolithic hill-fort on Seaford Head and the Roman cemetery under the golf-course. There are no signs of any religious practices of these early Seafordians.
In 1058 a thieving Flemish monk called Bulgarus came to Seaford in order to steal the bones of Lewenna, a local Saint. She was a Saxon girl who died because of her Christian beliefs and was entombed and venerated at a local Church. Although this Church has not been identified it was almost certainly St Andrew’s Church at Bishopstone. Bulgarus called our town “Sevordt” and even described it as “A Ford crossing the sea and a crossing place for people coming along the shore – so narrow only two ships can pass – a lofty ridge breaks the force of the waves so that ships need no anchor to stay here”
After the conquest much of the area was owned by the DeWarrenne family; William DeWarrene being the Lord of the Rape of Lewes, one of the six administrative regions that Sussex was divided into.
It is believed however that William the Conquerors half-brother, Robert of Mortain had command of the Port at Seaford, indeed he probably controlled all of the south coast ports as they were strategic centres for the invading army.
There is no mention of Seaford Church in the records of the Priory of Lewes which was founded by the DeWarrenne family but as the Church was obviously designed to serve the needs of the port, it was probably built by the townsfolk with the authority of Robert of Mortain rather than on the instructions of the Priory at Lewes.
The First Church
The Church was built around the year 1090 and was huge and certainly dominated the small port. It was probably of cruciform design with a central tower. It had a nave and a chancel which are still present and also two transepts. Small windows were cut into the upper parts of the walls (a clerestory) and two of these still remain.
There were no aisles.The size of the Church showed that is was important The nave was over 20 feet wide and was matched, by only Bramber and West Ham in Sussex Norman Churches. This large building shows that the town of Seaford was growing in importance as a port, possibly as an important staging post in cross-channel traffic keeping the Normans in contact with their homeland.
The foundations of the Church are on natural chalk and are only two feet beneath the surface of the floor. The walls are made of undressed flints, stones from the beach and some scraps of Caen stone. This was bought back from Normandy as ballast for the ships which used the port.
I personally believe that the fact that this Church was such a large building tends to show that that there was an earlier Church in the town, possibly in the same location.
The Church Grows
Within a few years of being built (probably within thirty years) it was found necessary to expand the Church even further and two aisles were constructed on either side of the nave.
At this time three rounded Norman arches were cut into the walls on each side, but today only two of these remain; one in the vestry, and the other open to the south side of the tower.
Apart from these arches the only fabric of the Church still visible is the wall on the north side of the building.
In 1160 there is the first mention of a Chaplain serving Seaford Church; his name was Peter. Peter was known to have been present at the consecration of the chapel for St James’ Leper Hospital which was situated in the Blatchington Road area of the town.
The Bishop of Chichester from 1180 to 1203 was Seffrid the Second and during this time Seaford Church was granted to the Dean and Chapter of Chichester Cathedral. Chaplains from then on were appointed from Chichester.
Seffrid II was responsible for rebuilding Chichester Cathedral after a fire in 1187 and also enlarging the Bishop’s manor at Bishopstone. He also appointed a Rector at Seaford called Humphrey and both men oversaw the next phase of the building in the year 1200.
In order to bring more light into the Church, two of the old Norman arches were extended and built in the new early English pointed style. A new clerestory with large windows (over 10 feet tall) was also built.
The Carvings
The Church was also richly decorated with carvings at this time. Corbels (some in the form of gargoyles) were placed at roof level but these are now badly worn. Two have now been placed inside the Church; one is in the form of an upside-down head with the body of a snake and the other now, rather rudely, sticks his tongue at the congregation. These were found built into the wall when the western doorway (now blocked) was built in 1895.
The carving of St Michael killing a dragon now faces the two gargoyles in the nave. This was probably placed on the tympanum over the main doorway or maybe it was placed behind the altar. St Michael, the archangel is depicted pushing his sword into the jaws of a beast and this of course symbolises the battle of good over evil.
The columns in the nave are all decorated with stiff leaved foliage and you will see that when you look around, each section has a different design, indeed there are fifteen different designs altogether. It has been suggested that these may have been the work of apprentices working under one stone mason. The column closest to the south door is surrounded with scenes from the bible. Although they have deteriorated in the last hundred years (thanks to the introduction of heating!) several of the designs can be made out and the crucifixion is very clear indeed.
So you can see that there were three stages of building the Norman Church and all took place in just over one hundred years:
Phase One – Around 1090 – A grand cruciform style Church with a central tower
Phase Two – Around 1120 – Two aisles built on either side of the nave. Rounded arches cut into the original walls
Phase Three – Around 1200 – The nave was heightened by a clerestory, some rounded arches were replaced by Early English pointed arches. Carving work completed.
This must have been a most impressive Norman building even though it is possible that it was never fully finished.
Years of Conflict
Within a few months of the last phase of the Church building being commenced, Normandy was lost and there followed centuries of conflict between the English and the French. The fortunes of Seaford rose and fell.
In 1229 the first mention is made of Seaford as a Cinque port and it is likely that the town was quite prosperous at this time.
A prebend is the share of revenues of a cathedral distributed to the Churches within its care and returns in 1291 show that the prebend for Seaford Church was £4 whilst that for the neighbouring Church at Sutton was £26. It appears that Sutton was the more important Church even though it was smaller than Seaford. The manor of Sutton merged with Seaford in 1509 and since that time the importance of the former parish has been reflected in the name of the Church “The Parish of Sutton with Seaford” This is shown on the notice-board for the Church which faces Church Street.
In 1298 William Hobey and Geoffrey Cuckoo were returned as the first two members of Parliament for Seaford and about this time the “Crypt” was being built as the undercroft (or cellar) for a rich merchant’s house. At this time there were over 40 wool traders in the town and in 1301 Edward I granted the town the right to hold an annual fair. The following year Seaford sent a ship and marines to fight the Scots.
Things seemed to be looking good for the town but in the early 14th century Seaford began to be raided from the continent. Seaford’s Cinque Port commitment was increased from one to two ships and these were responsible for capturing a French ship in 1337 and bringing it back to the port.
Unlike the East Sussex Ports of Winchelsea, Rye or Pevensey, our town was never fortified and it had no town walls, castle or any defensive towers. It must have been an easy touch for the French raiders; in 1341 Seaford is described as “damaged often by the assaults of the French with inhabitants wounded or slain”
In 1347 Seaford increased the strength of its marine forces to five ships which must have taken away most of the fit men in the town. This left it vulnerable not only to attack by the sea but attack from disease. The Black Death struck Sussex the following year and it must have been hard times for the remaining people. Ten years later it was reported that “The Town of Seaford has been lately for the most part burnt down and further devastated by pestilence and the calamities of war so that the townsmen have become so few and so poor that they can neither bear their burdens nor undertake the defence of their town against the enemy”
It was around this time that the Church was sacked by the French and burnt down. Only parts of the nave remained and the south wall was completely destroyed. Although guidebooks say that there is physical evidence of the fire in the Church I have not been able to find any although there is some discolouring on the carving of St Michael.
The ruined Church stood derelict for many years and it is probable that much of the stonework was taken to use for other buildings.
A New Start
In 1485 the Church was restored using whatever material could be salvaged. The south wall was rebuilt and a new porch was added. A gallery was probably also added at this time at the west end of the nave. The most dramatic change however was the tower.
The tower was built inside the surviving Norman walls and this is unique in English Church architecture. For such a tall tower there are no buttresses which is amazing considering that the foundations are virtually non-existent. The tower gets its stability by being solid and the inner walls are over five feet thick. It is also tapered – there are four levels but more about that later.
The will of Richard Dumbrill in 1504 says “I bequeath the Church of Seaford a St Erasmus Light of one pound wax”
St Erasmus was a patron Saint of sailors and the light would have shone from the tower towards the port. St Erasmus was also known as St Elmo and was a Bishop from Syria who was put to death by having his intestines pulled out and wound around a windlass. In fact, the windlass was mistaken for a ships capstan and he started to be revered by sailors. They called the electrical charges seen on the masts of their ships ‘St Elmo’s Fire’ It then became the custom to direct sailors to Church by using “St Erasmus lights.
Dedication to St Leonard
Now you may have noticed that so far in this narrative I have not yet mentioned Seaford Church as St Leonard’s. That is because the first mention of the dedication of the Church to St Leonard was in 1541 when a man called Will Best left a will asking to be buried in the Churchyard of St Leonard at Seaford. St Leonard was another patron saint for sailors and our Church is one of five in the county dedicated to him – three of these being in Cinque Ports.
Despite the optimism in rebuilding the Church at Seaford and its dedication to St Leonard the fortunes of the town still suffered. French raids restarted and were not to finish until Sir Nicholas Pelham fought off the French at the Battle of the Buckle (near Seaford Sailing Club) in 1545.
Seaford has traditionally had two enemies – the French and of course the weather and at this time the River Ouse at Seaford gradually silted up until Seaford not only lost its river but also the associated fishing industry to Newhaven. By 1592 Seaford was being described as a “decayed haven” With the population greatly reduced it is no wonder that between 1558 and 1622 there was an average of just four deaths a year recorded in the parish so it is not surprising that such an ancient Church contains no fine Tudor or Jacobean monuments.
Some Vicars of Note
In 1679, 34 year old Willam Snatt became the vicar of St Leonard’s, on the accession of William III to the throne, Snatt refused to swear allegiance to the new Protestant King. Men who refused to do this were called ‘non-jurors’.
In 1696, Sir William Barclay plotted to assassinate King William but his fellow plotters, Sir John Friend and William Parkyn were caught and executed on Tower Hill. William Snatt attended their execution and bravely absolved them at the foot of the scaffold. He was arrested and thrown into Newgate prison but at his subsequent trial he was dealt with leniently.
Not so pious was Richard Ellis. He was the head teacher of the first school in Seaford which was provided by the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge (SPCK), This was established in 1706 but just five years later it is recorded that “Sarah Wood of Seaford, widow, was delivered of a bastard child and that Richard Ellis, the parish schoolmaster is the reputed father. For several years past the said Richard was and is a married man and the said Richard and Sarah at diverse times in the year 1710 did commit the crime of adultery together at several places and even in the Parish Church of Seaford”
This dalliance did not seem to affect Richard’s career and he went on to teach in the town until his death in 1759.
Thomas Evans was the Vicar between 1777 and 1815. He seems to have been passionate about his calling and was responsible for another period of renovation. He built the chancel at the east end of the Church but in doing so the Norman walls at the east end of the Church were destroyed. The chancel was fitted with a large round window.
A ceiling was put on the roof which covered the old beams and a window and a door in the west wall were blocked off but, as you will discover these changes did not last long.
For many years the Rev. Evans paid keen attention to the political machinations in Seaford. As a ‘rotten borough’ Seaford was able to return two members of parliament despite only having a small amount of constituents eligible to vote. He was a champion to the under-dog and did his best to ensure that the power and money of the major landowners did not always get a smooth ride. At one vote in 1789 the good vicar even got involved with fisticuffs with the parish constable when he believed that the outcome was rigged and unfair.
Evans himself though was not without criticism – in the Quarter Sessions of October 1785 ratepayers who had been prosecuted for failure to pay their rates complained that their vicar had also failed to pay taxes not only on his house but on the tithes that he benefited from. In his old age the vicar obviously wanted a quieter life and in 1810 he complained that the common stocks outside his house were a nuisance and arranged for their removal. He died a few years later when he fell off his horse and broke his thigh en-route to Seaford from Exceat.
The Victorian Improvements
Nowadays the Victorian zeal for improving Churches is often criticised for destroying much of the fabric of many ancient Churches although to be fair many of these Churches were in a poor state and would have collapsed without their intervention. This could not be said for St Leonard’s as the Rev. Evans had ensured that the Church was renovated and kept up to date.
The 1860s saw a huge push by a small group of determined men led by Doctor William Tyler-Smith to ensure that the town of Seaford stayed on the map. The ‘Seaford Improvement Company’ was established and large amounts of money spent on building smart new houses, ensuring the town was protected from the sea and bringing the railway to the town. St Leonard’s Church was not overlooked and in 1863 a committee was established which included William Tyler-Smith, Major Harison of Sutton lodge, and of course the Vicar the Reverend James Carnegie.
Work started in 1863 and was dramatic; all of the box pews were removed as was the ceiling so that the expanse of the roof was again seen. The chancel which had been built just forty years earlier was removed and the nave extended by a few feet and a new chancel was built. The south aisle was shortened by one bay making the ancient Norman Bay an external feature as can still be seen today.
The gallery at the west end of the nave was removed as was its external staircase which was just to the left of the porch. The pitch of the aisle roofs were lowered to below the clerestory windows to let more light into the Church. The old fifteenth century porch was replaced by the strange “mock Tudor” design which has a black stained wood framework. It almost looks as if it is in the “Arts and Crafts” style of decoration which was to become vogue sixty years later.
The floor of the Church was lowered to reveal the bases of the piers and columns and lastly the whole of the exterior was re-pointed and renovated.
But these were not the last of the Victorian refurbishments. Despite the improvements to sea defences a huge storm in November 1875 saw the sea lapping around the tower of the Church. Seven years later the tower had to be restored and new buttresses were added. These improvements of 1882 also saw the old medieval doorway at the west end of the Church replaced by a new one – although nowadays this is very badly worn. New steps were added to this doorway and also a channel was dug around the whole of the Church to drain off excess water.
In 1902 a small chapel was added to the north east corner of the Church to provide extra seating for the congregation. This was particularly needed during the First World War when the Church was often packed with hundreds of troops who were then billeted in Seaford. At one time ninety West Indian soldiers were confirmed in the Church, and the Canadians felt so moved by the friendly reception they had at the Church, that they fixed two brass maple leafs to the front pews.
In 1970 it was rededicated as the Chapel of the Holy Spirit. By the 1990s it was evident that the south walls were suffering from damp and a further repair programme was put in place between 1992 and 1993 which, not only saw this problem rectified but also further work was done to the west doorway.
The Church was subject to its last major changes in 2006 and this saw the floor of the Church being replaced by a polished light wood, which makes the interior much brighter. Most of the Victorian pews were removed, and modern (and more comfortable) chairs were fitted. One of the pews was donated to Seaford Museum. This pew had been donated to the Church by St Wilfrid’s School and would have been used by its pupils when they attended services here. As someone who helped to place the pew in its new home I can reveal that the underside was home to many years of chewing gum!
Kevin Gordon.
Note: The Church was Grade I listed on 2nd March 1950. The Church wall adjacent to Church Street was listed Grade II on 26th October 1971.