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St Wulfran's Church, Ovingdean

St Wulfran's Church, dedicated to the 7th-century French archbishop Wulfram of Sens, is an Anglican church in Ovingdean, a rural village now within the English city of Brighton and Hove. Parts of the structure date from the early 12th century, and the church is listed at Grade I, a designation used for buildings "of outstanding architectural or historic interest".

History
A church existed in Ovingdean at the time of the Domesday Book of 1086, This was rebuilt in the early 12th century, and most sources agree that no trace of the Saxon-era building remains. These were designed and painted by Charles Eamer Kempe, who had been born in the village and who later became a noted stained glass designer. Before his death in 1907, he provided seven windows for the church; he also designed a rood screen for the chancel, which was carved in the German village of Oberammergau. There are other painted and stencilled panels from the 19th century throughout the church, representing various Biblical scenes. The reredos was also designed in the late 19th century, and depicts various figures including St Richard of Chichester. The painting over altar depicts St Wilfred and St Richard and was painted 1957-1963 by Maude Emily Bishop (1890-1975). A chapel was built on the south side in 1907. is buried in the churchyard. Members of the Kemp(e) family, including Charles Eamer Kempe himself, are also buried there. Nathaniel Kemp, who built the 18th-century Ovingdean Hall, the main building in the village, and his wife Martha share a tomb on the south side of the church; the tombstone was designed by Charles, who was later buried in the same tomb. The dedication to Wulfram of Sens (in any spelling) is very rare. Only one other extant church in England bears it: the parish church of Grantham in Lincolnshire. A connection between the two may lie with Norman nobleman William de Warenne, one of England's main landowners in the 11th century, who owned land in both Ovingdean and Grantham. is no longer in use. ==Architecture==
Architecture
at the churchyard entrance St Wulfran's Church is built entirely of flint, other than narrow stone quoins at the corners of walls. Although churches incorporating some flint are common in Sussex, St Wulfran's is the only all-flint church in the historic county. The roof was originally slate, but tiles have replaced most of the slate slabs. The two-stage tower is topped with a shallow pyramid-shaped spire of a design known as the "Sussex Cap", and has a circular corbel of similar height in its southeastern corner. There are lancet windows of various sizes on all sides of the church and in the tower. Kempe's stained glass can be found in one of the tower windows, the south chapel, the north wall (three windows) and the south wall (two). Internally, there are several arches, some with pointed tops and chamfering; in particular, there are three arched entrances to the chapel on the south side, and a blocked entrance to the former south aisle. The churchyard is entered on the east side through a steep-roofed lychgate with recessed seating. "Holiness unto the Lord" is carved on one of the wooden beams. ==The church today==
The church today
tree by the entrance door St Wulfran's received its Grade I listing on 13 October 1952. Notable burials The churchyard contains the graves of a number of notable people: • Mercy Geere (1641–1671), the oldest marked gravestone • Charles Eamer Kempe (1837–1907) • Sophia Jex-Blake (1840–1912) • Magnus Volk (1851–1937) • Helena Normanton (1882–1957) ==See also==
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