TQ5827 : Lady Chapel Window, St Dunstan's church, Mayfield
taken 10 years ago, near to Mayfield, East Sussex, England
Grade I listed.
There was originally a wooden church on this site in 960 AD built by St Dunstan - the great Saxon Archbishop of Canterbury.
Mayfield was one of the largest villages in the deanery of South Malling and the Archbishop of Canterbury had a palace behind the church.
Between 1100 and 1200 and Normans replaced the wooden church with one of stone. The tower is 13th C with a broached shingled spire. The church burned down in 1389 (as was much of the Village!) but was rebuilt by 1420 and this is the church we see now.
The porch is 15th century and has carved animals in the roof. There is a parvise above.
The South aisle has a Lady Chapel first mentioned in 1570. It was refurbished after a fire in 1994.
Some of the choir stalls date back to 15th C. There is a small but fine memorial to Thomas Aynscombe by Nicholas Stone.
Many of the memorials in the church belong to the Baker and Kirby families. These were local ironmaster families. The nave has four tomb slabs of Sussex iron
The tower, which had developed cracks, was restored in the 1980's. There has been little other restoration over the years apart from some in 1867-69.
The organ is by Walker from 1997.