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Coombes
Church was reopened on Christmas Day
Coombes Church is a Saxon church built in the 11th century and
the chancel was built in the 13th and 14th century. The dedication
of the church is unknown. Over the last two years, thanks to a large grant from English Heritage
and grants from charities and trusts, together with the efforts
of the faithful small congregation and the generosity of friends,
major repairs have been completed.
Coombes Church Restoration 2007 - 2008
The Rector, Churchwardens, and PCC of Coombes Church, wish to thank all the local people who have supported this project. At the same time the work could not have been carried out without the backing of English Heritage whose grants largely financed the work. We are immensely grateful to them and to the national and local trusts that also provided further significant assistance. They were: The Allchurches trust We should also like to record our appreciation and
especial thanks to our Architect, Richard Crook, of John D Clarke
& Partners, the wall painting conservator, Ann Ballantyne, and
to the contractors, Bramber Construction, J.H. Payne & Partners,
and Clarke Roofing.
Coombes
Church , Church farm, Coombes, Lancing, We get extra help if you GIFT AID IT .....Thank you The restoration Project The two year restoration project at Coombes Church was completed just before Christmas, 2008. The Rector, the Reverend Roger Russell, and the Parochial Church Council, and all those who know and love this little church, want to thank all those who have given their support to this major undertaking. The restoration could not have been considered without the guidance, as well as financial backing, of English Heritage from its South East office in Guildford. Even so the PCC has had to raise a substantial sum. We were lucky to win the backing of a number of major trusts and grant-making bodies. Generous grants came from the Allchurches trust, the Alan Evans Trust, the Garfield Weston Trust, the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, the John and Ruth Howard Charitable Trust, the Mercers’ Company, and Viridor Credits (Landfill) Ltd as well as one anonymous local donor. The church has also been fortunate over the years in the steady giving of its many small donors. The PCC is hugely grateful to everyone who has made the work possible and, in addition, to the two contractors, Bramber Construction Ltd (2007)and JH Payne’s of Hailsham (2008). Special thanks are also due to Richard Crook, of John D Clarke and Partners of Eastbourne, the PCC’s architect, whose skilful and sensitive direction of the project has contributed so much to its success. The total cost of the work was in the region of £250k. What it has achieved is the rebuilding of the small bellcote at the west end, the restoration of the 12th century bell, the re-roofing of the whole church, including the Horsham stone roof on the south side, the structural replacement of the chancel’s timber roof, and the complete cleaning of the 12th century wall paintings and the lime-washing of the walls and ceilings. This task, interestingly, was carried out by Anne Ballantyne, who assisted Clive Rouse when the Coombes wall paintings were discovered more than fifty years ago. In addition there has been some repair to the stonework of the windows on the south side. The opportunity has also been taken to install lightening conductors for Coombes. Of course with an ancient building of this standing it is never
certain what other works may be needed in the future. All the same,
as things now stand, we feel that Coombes should not require major
work for many decades. Those who know the church well will be aware
that serious work has been done. New visitors may well wonder what
has changed! The answer is that modern restoration prides itself
on respect for every period of a church’s history. The highest
praise we can give it is to say ‘nothing much seems to have
been done’. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are
fortunate indeed to have had such outstandingly skilled people working
on this remarkable church and carrying out this little miracle of
restoration. COOMBES CHURCH by Rev' Roger Russell The
church had its own rector, who lived in the rectory across the field
until 1900. We now share a rector with North Lancing and hold regular
services. Rev' Roger
Russell There are less than forty people living at Coombes, just sixteen households. The parish shares a rector with Lancing, but is financially independent and responsible for the up-keep and repairs of this ancient church. The bell-cote at the west end of the roof was constructed in the early 18th century when the west end of the church was shortened, perhaps after a collapse. It is thought that once there was a tower at the west end. Over the centuries the weight of the bell-cote has caused the roof to sag badly, and bell-cote has had to be shored up. The bell is the second oldest in Sussex, dated around 1150. It
is believed to have been made in Normandy. The church also contains very important wall paintings of around 1100 depicting the gospel story of the birth of Jesus. Re-discovered only in 1949, these are rare survivals from the time when our churches were richly decorated, and taught the Gospel to those who could not read through pictures.
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