Seeing churches as you travel through town and country can be like poster blindness: there are so many, they might as well all blur into one most of the time. St Mary’s Church in Sompting has a roof that stands out on the horizon, not just for its height but for its strangeness. It’s an oddity in our landscape with such a helm. It’s certainly unique in England – the only one of its kind here. The ‘Rhenish’ helm on top of the tower takes its name from the Rheinland area of Germany where the style is typical for the region. So, what’s it doing here in Sussex? It’s the work of our Saxon ancestors and somehow has miraculously survived 1000 years of English weather and a tumultuous history. Not all of it is still standing but the good news is that, what we have left in Sompting are the remains of a 10th century Saxon tower, complete with rustically decorated archway, and a few other remnants from the time integrated into the church walls. That’s more than I expected. What a find! We really are so very lucky that this wonderful example of Saxon architecture still exists, and even luckier that the caretakers keep the doors open so I was able to look around on my own and discover this 1000-year old treasure. Wonderful!
Lime Green Phone 