St Leonard
South Stoke, Sussex
A stunning little church in an idyllic setting.
Next to it is Amberley Castle, a 14th century bishops' residence (now a hotel), all in a quintessentially pretty downland village.
The interior of the church lives up to its lovely setting.
A splendid Norman chancel arch, with scalloped capitals and chevron carving as at Steyning frames a simple Early English east window of three lancets, dating from about 1230.
Soon after this, the tower was begun.
The south doorway, with delightful foliage carvings spilling from the capitals, followed in about 1300. Incredibly, the fragments of wall paintings of the Crucifixion, on the south side of the chancel arch, have survived from about the same period.
