St Denys
Rotherfield, Sussex
This historic hilltop village in the High Weald lies close to the source of the Rother, the Sussex river from which it takes its name.
It is a sandstone building with a shingled spire. The Baptistry in the north west alcove contains the original font dating from 1833. There is a hanging rood in the chancel arch which was carved in Oberammergau and presented to the church in 1913 by Revd B Spink.
The Lady Chapel is one of the most attractive features of the church. It was particularly designed for private prayer and meditation, and the Blessed Sacrament is perpetually reserved here for the sick and dying.
Above the Lady Chapel altar is a depiction of the Magnificat by Edward A Fellowes Prynne (brother of the architect). The picture was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1897 and, until placed here, was hung in the hall of Hadlow Grange.
The six windows in the Lady Chapel depict the Christian year in wild flowers and were given in memory of Charles Lang and Agnes Maud Huggins by their nine children. Greetings cards depicting these windows are available for purchase in the church. There is also a wall plaque commemorating the lives of the three sons of Basil and Rhona Huggins, who were killed in action during the Second World War. Mr Huggins himself lies at rest in the churchyard immediately east of the Lady Chapel.
The churchyard has considerable ecological interest with many different varieties of wild flowers, including several orchid varieties. A large part of the area is allowed to grow as meadow each summer but with mowed walkways to allow access to graves. The churchyard is classified as a site of Nature Conservation Importance.
Set in the graveyard is a curious labyrinth decorated memorial stone in the form of a large cross, lying prone in a small enclosure, commemorates Lt Colonel Wheeler, the 4th Viscount Hood, who died in 1911. The labyrinth design employed is a unique five path design with no obvious source.
There are seven official Commonwealth war graves in the churchyard, mostly from the First World War. The village War Memorial is in the southwest corner of the church and outside the adjacent window, there is a small rose garden where wreaths can be laid as well as memorial crosses.
In commemoration of the Queen's Silver Jubilee, a wrought iron Jubilee gate was erected at the entrance to the churchyard from St Mark's Church of England Primary School.
