Watery Beginnings – The Origins of St. Mary’s, Bramber
- Alice Standen
- Aug 6, 2020
- 4 min read
Norman Foundations and Watery Beginnings
St. Mary’s House is located in the quaint village of Bramber in West Sussex, at the northern edge of the South Downs and West of the River Adur. The origins of Bramber borough date back to the Norman period, with records existing from as early as 1086. The village was likely linked to the construction of the nearby Bramber castle in 1073, following the Norman Conquest.[1]
Bramber castle was built by the de Braose family, who were the heads of this feudal barony between the 11th and 14th Centuries.[2] The castle Church of St. Nicholas is the oldest post-conquest structure in Sussex. So it is clear that Bramber was once a very important place!
The remains of Bramber Castle’s Gatehouse, to the North-west of St. Mary’s House
Its importance was also amplified by the 11th century wooden bridge, which the de Braose family used to levy tolls from boats travelling to the nearby port of Steyning.[3] One can just imagine the bustle of the merchant ships sailing through, with stacked cargo, and the exchange of money. This is where St. Mary’s first comes in, although we must go underground in order to uncover its watery beginnings…
In 1974 an archaeological dig was begun 32m East of St. Mary’s in the area now used by the house as a car park. Within the trenches evidence of a long timber causeway was uncovered, which suggested the land now occupied by St. Mary’s was once a wharf, for cargo or passengers to unload from their vessels.[4]
Amazingly these timbers were carbon dated to c.1090 suggesting that they were part of the original Norman construction! The map below shows the possible siting of the wharf just East of St. Mary’s which is circled in red.
Templar Connections?
It was recorded that on the death of Philip de Braose (remember the Norman castle and the de Braose family?) in 1125 that his widow gave 5 acres of land to the Knights Templar, next to the causeway.[5] In 1990 whilst the current owners of St. Mary’s were restoring the floor of the ‘Monk’s Parlour’ the remains of a much earlier structure were uncovered - an open hall hearth made from clay tiles. References to a Templar chapter house have also been recorded, and it is possible that this structure lies beneath the current St. Mary’s House.
Benedictines in Bramber
The Templars left Bramber in 1154, and the chapter house land, causeway, and bridge eventually passed to Sele Priory by the gift of John de Braose in 1230.[6] In this period of transition, the old wooden Bramber bridge had been rebuilt as an imposing 170-foot, 4 arch, stone bridge. The priory of Sele placed a chapel here, on the central pier in c.1230 dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin.[7]
The size of the bridge reflected its importance as the main medieval east-west route through Sussex, which led from Southampton to Canterbury.[8] The monks of Sele have been noted as wardens of the bridge, and due to the prominence of the route it is likely they were using the house as an inn for travellers.[9]
The Timber Frame Structure As We Know It
In the 15th century the priory had become impoverished, with the bridge and chapel falling into ruin. From 1477 they passed into the ownership of William Waynflete, the bishop of Winchester, who restored and rebuilt these crumbling structures.[10]
No direct reference to Waynflete restoring St. Mary’s has been found, but it is known that St. Mary’s passed to Magdalen College Oxford, of which Waynflete was the founder.[11] The structure of the house with it’s close studding, flat hollow spandrel four-centred doorways, and large curved down-braces would also support a construction date in the late-15th Century. A fragment of a previous archway (displayed in the house’s North Hall) which has a Plantagenet rose, and Bishop’s mitre carving also suggests religious links.
The house would have been a large four sided structure, centred around a central courtyard…although only the East wing survives today.
The 5 chambers would have been reached via stairs in the central courtyard, their doorways and room divides still visible in the house today. The house is constructed of massive oak, jettied on both the northern and eastern sides, with an elaborate display of close studding – clearly whoever erected St. Mary’s was extremely wealthy.
This brings me to the end of my very brief introduction to the origins of St. Mary’s as we see it today. Next time I will seek to uncover the 16th and 17th Century grand improvements to the house…including the famous ‘painted room’ and the elaborate Tudor inglenook.
Comments