St Mary's Church, West Chiltington, Norman church in West Chiltington, England
St Mary's Church is a Norman structure with three arches separating the main body from the southern side aisle, featuring carefully designed Norman windows throughout. The chancel and other sections developed over many centuries as the building evolved and was enlarged.
The building was founded around 1101 and dates from a time when solid stone churches became symbols of power and faith. Later sections were rebuilt and new elements added to adapt it to the needs of the growing community.
The medieval wall paintings inside show scenes from the life of Jesus and once served to tell Bible stories to people who could not read. You can still see traces of these old artworks today, which give the building a strong sense of age and spiritual history.
Access is usually possible during daylight hours, and the building welcomes visitors between services. It is worth checking ahead if you plan to visit, as special events or services may affect opening times.
The south aisle contains an unusually long viewing opening of about 10 feet that allowed people to see into the altar area from the side. This detail reveals how important it was for certain parts of the service to be visible to everyone present.
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