COOMBES
The small parish of Coombes (fn. 63) lies in the middle
of the South Downs, on the west bank of the river
Adur, 2½ miles above Shoreham. It is roughly oval
in shape, the long axis lying west-east, and comprises 1,280 a. (518 ha.). (fn. 64) The northern boundary
was already apparently an estate boundary in 956. (fn. 65)
The western boundary also seems to be old, since
it follows a probably ancient downland track. (fn. 66) Part
of the southern boundary is formed by the Ladywell
stream. The bounds were still perambulated in
1885. (fn. 67) The soil of the parish lies mainly on chalk,
overlaid in the east part by alluvial deposits, (fn. 68) and
land use is divided between arable and pasture. In
the west part the land climbs gradually to 350 ft.,
being broken by the dry valleys or coombes which
gave the parish its name. (fn. 69) The strip of land along
the river in the east part is reclaimed marshland.
There is little woodland in the parish; it is likely
that the same was true in the Middle Ages and that
most of the 100 a. of woodland attached to the
manor of Applesham in 1453 lay in West Grinstead
in the Weald. (fn. 70)
The parish contains two settlements, Coombes
village and Applesham. They lie on the edge of the
flood-plain of the river, one in the north and one in
the south, and probably correspond to two Saxon
estates aligned east-west like Annington (in
Botolphs) and Bidlington (in Bramber). Coombes
was the larger settlement in 1086, (fn. 71) but it later
declined. In 1677 it had 12 buildings, most of which
belonged to the 4 surviving tenants of the manor,
besides empty crofts where other houses had
apparently stood. The village street was longer then
than in 1976, continuing right up to the church;
there were three side roads to the south, and one to
the north. (fn. 72) A century later, though there were
about the same number of buildings, some had
ceased to be dwellings and had become farmbuildings; all had apparently been engrossed by the
lord of the manor, so that the village was virtually
an appendage of the demesne farm at Applesham. (fn. 73)
Only 5 houses were left in 1840, including the
parsonage. (fn. 74) In 1976 there were 7, and a number of
deserted house-sites could be seen. (fn. 75) The roads
shown in 1677 survived as tracks in 1875, (fn. 76) but by
1976 all but one had disappeared, and the church
could be reached only by a footpath through a field.
Coombes Farmhouse is a 17th-century timberframed building with later additions; the other
buildings of the village are later and are mostly
cottages. Though Coombes was always the more
important settlement, the land round the former
Applesham hamlet is the best in the parish. (fn. 77)
Applesham probably became a single farm at an
early date, for it was never described as a vill in the
Middle Ages. Since the 17th century (fn. 78) it has been
the principal farm in the parish.
Thirty-four villani, 12 bordars, and 3 servi were
recorded at Coombes and Applesham manors in
1086, (fn. 79) but some of them probably inhabited outlying parts of the manors in the Weald. Fourteen
persons were assessed for subsidy in 1327 and 16 in
1332, (fn. 80) and in 1378 26 persons were listed, including
8 wives. (fn. 81) Eleven inhabitants were assessed in
1524. (fn. 82) In 1642 there were 15 adult males in the
parish, (fn. 83) and in 1676 24 adult inhabitants. (fn. 84) By
1801 the population was 47. By 1841 it had risen to
80, remaining at about that figure until the early
20th century. In 1931 it reached a peak of 99, after
which there was a steady fall to 50 in 1971. (fn. 85)
Neither Coombes village nor Applesham seems
ever to have lain on an important route. The
modern motor road from Steyning to Lancing bypasses both on the east. A route leading along
Coombes village street and south from the church
over the downs never seems to have been more than
a footpath. A number of downland roads formerly
passed through the parish, from Steyning and
Botolphs to Lancing, and from Botolphs and
Applesham to Findon; (fn. 86) most had disappeared by
1875. (fn. 87) A 'race way' was recorded in 1677 along
the Botolphs-Findon road in the north part of the
parish. (fn. 88) It is not clear whether it was the same as
the racecourse near Steyning where races were run
in the early 18th century and later. (fn. 89)
MANORS AND OTHER ESTATE.
In 1066
there were two manors in the parish, COOMBES,
held by Earl Gurth, and APPLESHAM, which
Lewin had held of Earl Godwin (d. 1053). (fn. 90) The
former at least belonged to William de Braose by
1073, (fn. 91) and both were held of him by William son
of Norman in 1086. (fn. 92) Thereafter they apparently
always descended together, being held of Bramber
rape (fn. 93) under the various names of Applesham, (fn. 94)
Coombes, (fn. 95) or the manor (fn. 96) or manors (fn. 97) of Applesham and Coombes.
Hugh of Coombes, perhaps William's son, occurs
locally between c. 1096 and 1153, (fn. 98) and John of
Coombes held land in Coombes c. 1180 and in
1206. (fn. 99) Another Hugh, presumably John's son,
succeeded to his father's lands c. 1209 (fn. 1) and in 1242
held 4 knights' fees apparently in Applesham and
Hawksbourne, in Horsham. (fn. 2) Michael of Coombes,
recorded locally c. 1250, (fn. 3) had died seised of what
was presumably the manor by 1261. His son John (fn. 4)
held the manor in 1280, and was succeeded c. 1286
by his brother Hugh, who had it in 1301. (fn. 5) Niel of
Coombes, Hugh's younger brother, (fn. 6) who had it in
1316, (fn. 7) was succeeded c. 1335 under a settlement of
1316 by his nephew Richard, (fn. 8) who in turn was
succeeded in 1349 by his daughter Joan. (fn. 9) Joan's
first husband Robert Halsham (fn. 10) held the manor
between 1361 and 1372, (fn. 11) and her second husband
Robert Tregoze, (fn. 12) assessed for 20s. in the parish in
the 1378 poll-tax, (fn. 13) apparently still held the manor
in 1389, when he exercised the advowson which
descended with it. (fn. 14) John Halsham, son of Robert, (fn. 15)
had it in 1395, (fn. 16) and died seised of it in 1415. (fn. 17) It
was settled on another John Halsham in 1440 and
1453, (fn. 18) and later passed under the second settlement
to Joan Lewknor, who had it between 1485 and
1490. (fn. 19) Sir Henry Roos, a cousin of the same John
Halsham, had succeeded to it under the same
settlement by 1502. (fn. 20)
By 1515 (fn. 21) the manor was in the hands of John
Shelley (d. 1527), thereafter descending with
Michelgrove, in Clapham, until in 1786 the executors
of Sir John Shelley (d. 1783) sold it to George
Wyndham, earl of Egremont. (fn. 22) By that date the estate
comprised practically the entire parish. (fn. 23) The manor
afterwards descended in the Wyndham family (fn. 24)
until in 1920 (fn. 25) Charles Wyndham, Lord Leconfield,
sold it to the occupier, W. J. Passmore, whose descendants still owned the lands in 1976.
Applesham farm-house, the former manor-house,
is faced with flint rubble and brick dressings and is
of various dates.
The 1½ hide held of Applesham manor by two
knights in 1086 (fn. 26) may be the same as the lands which
later belonged to Merton priory (Surr.), since no
other large estate is known in the parish. The
priory had the lands by 1206. (fn. 27) In the 1530s they
apparently amounted to over 100 a. (fn. 28) In 1552 they
were granted to John Bowyer, a former bailiff of
the priory. (fn. 29) Later they came into the hands of the
Leeds family of Wappingthorn in Steyning, (fn. 30)
descending with that manor until at least 1677,
when they comprised 65 a. (fn. 31) By c. 1775 they had
been bought by the Shelleys. (fn. 32) Members of the
Merrow family, perhaps originating from Merrow
near Guildford, who were recorded in the parish
between the 13th and 15th centuries, were apparently
successive farmers of the priory lands. Thomas of
Merrow occurs locally c. 1275, (fn. 33) and was the priory
farmer in 1288. (fn. 34) William of Merrow was highly
assessed for tax in the parish in 1296. (fn. 35) The same
or another William was said to hold ¼ fee in Coombes
in 1346, (fn. 36) and Walter Merrow was recorded in the
parish between 1378 and 1416. (fn. 37)
ECONOMIC HISTORY.
Twenty-seven villani
and 4 bordars held of Coombes manor in 1086, and
7 villani and 7 bordars of Applesham manor; there
were also 2 servi at Coombes and 1 at Applesham.
One bordar held of the sub-manor of Applesham. (fn. 38)
In 1335 free and servile tenants of the combined
manor paid 60s. 3d. in rent; 17 customary tenants
owed harvest works worth 51s., and services during
the rest of the year were valued at 18d. (fn. 39) The
arable land of the parish in the Middle Ages, as in
Botolphs and Bramber, lay in its central part,
around and between the settlements of Coombes
and Applesham. Coombes manor had 8 ploughlands in 1086, worked by 12 teams, and Applesham
5 plough-lands worked by 5 teams. (fn. 40) Possibly each
settlement originally had its own open fields, but if
so the fact was not discernible in the layout of the
fields as they existed later. There was presumably
then as later common pasture both on the downs
and in the marsh. Other marshland which was held
severally in the Middle Ages had presumably been
inned by individuals, or comprised the sites of
former salterns; (fn. 41) one parcel of 20 a. belonging to
Applesham manor was lowly valued in 1335
because liable to flooding. (fn. 42) Evidently there had
also been pasture land attached to Coombes and
Applesham manors in the north of the county,
where Chesworth and Sedgewick manors in
Horsham and Nuthurst and land at West Grinstead
and at Hawksbourne and Nutham in Horsham later
belonged to or were held of the combined manor. (fn. 43)
Crops grown in the parish in the 14th century
included apples, hemp, and cabbages or cauliflowers
(cholectum). (fn. 44)
At the end of the 16th century there was at least
one copyhold tenement held for lives by yearly rent
and heriot, (fn. 45) and copyhold tenants were also recorded in 1615 (fn. 46) and 1670. (fn. 47) In 1677 (fn. 48) there were
5 smaller estates in the parish of between 16 a. and
65 a., including the glebe land. The rest of the
parish belonged to the Shelley family, being
occupied as a single farm, Applesham farm. At that
date there were c. 235 a. of arable land in the parish,
most of it lying in 19 common-field furlongs, whose
names included North Hanger, Hame furlong,
Black Burrow furlong, Horselands furlong, Brade
Green, and Stony Bottom. (fn. 49) Most strips were of 1 a.
or less; the largest furlong comprised 33 a., but
most were of less than 15 a. Two other furlongs
had been inclosed, one belonging to Applesham
farm, the other being glebe land, and a pasture
close called Farney field was perhaps another
former furlong. There were 249 a. of common
sheep down in the parish, but nothing is known
about common rights there.
There were also c. 180 a. of brookland pasture in
Coombes in 1677, which lay in three strips, each
inclosed at a different period. First, going from
west to east, there were c. 115 a., all apparently
severally owned, small amounts by three small
landowners, and the rest by the Shelleys. Though
no common rights are recorded then, however,
some of the Shelley closes seem from their names
(Ox Brook, Copyhold Brook, North and South Cow
Brooks, and Coombes Mow Brook) to have been
originally commonable. Next there were 3 demesne
closes called the New Brook, inclosed by a dam or
river wall, and comprising 30 a. They probably
included the 20 a. belonging to the manor in 1595,
called Coombes marsh, which may very likely be
the same as the parcel of demesne marsh mentioned
in 1335. In 1596 what may have been the same land
was said to be liable to flooding at every high tide,
the retaining wall being very expensive to maintain. (fn. 50)
Another 20 a. of demesne marshland lying in a bend
of the river was said in 1634 to have been inned
within the last 20 years, and to be also subject to
regular flooding. (fn. 51) The most easterly land of the
parish, lying outside the river-wall in 1677, was salt
marsh also belonging to the Shelleys and comprising 33 a.
Wheat, barley, oats, peas and tares were grown
in the parish in the 17th and 18th centuries, and
more than 1,000 sheep were recorded in the parish
on three occasions. (fn. 52) Further inning of marshland
was apparently in progress in 1732. (fn. 53) In 1708 the
demesne land comprised two farms, Applesham
and Coombes; (fn. 54) but in 1733, (fn. 55) and apparently
always after that date until the early 20th century,
it was a single farm, with the farm-house at
Applesham. (fn. 56) In the mid 18th century Applesham
farm was held on a 21-year lease, like other farms
on the Shelley estates. (fn. 57) By c. 1775 the entire parish
except for the glebe land belonged to the Shelleys.
As a result all the arable land had been consolidated
into 16 closes, of up to 59 a. in area, and many of
the old field-names had been replaced by new ones.
The glebe land still lay in strips, but they had been
occupied with the rest of the arable land for so long
that their size and whereabouts had been forgotten.
All rights of common on the downs had been
extinguished. (fn. 58)
Since the late 18th century, the parish has been
almost continuously occupied by three families, the
Gells (c. 1786-1836), (fn. 59) the Hamptons (1837-c.
1886) (fn. 60) and the Passmores (since 1901). (fn. 61) Under
Francis Gell, the very enterprising farmer of the
late 18th and early 19th centuries, (fn. 62) arable land in
the parish was greatly extended at the expense of
pasture. A new river wall was constructed c. 1792
outside the saltmarsh in the east part of the parish,
which was thereby made cultivable. (fn. 63) On the downs
c. 180 a. of pasture was broken up for leys in 6
large closes, (fn. 64) the fertility of the land being increased
by the extensive application of raw chalk to counteract the acidity of the clay-with-flints soil. (fn. 65) Two
hill barns had been built by 1840, (fn. 66) and three others
were built during the next 35 years. (fn. 67) The former
saltmarsh was still being cropped in 1840, (fn. 68) but
later reverted to pasture. (fn. 69) To the crops previously
grown in the parish Gell added potatoes, clover,
turnips, and sainfoin. (fn. 70) More than 1,000 sheep
were recorded in the parish at the beginning of the
19th century. (fn. 71)
At some time during the early or mid 19th
century the Applesham farm buildings were rebuilt
as a model farm, parts of which, including the
wheel-house, survived in 1977. In 1851 the farm
comprised 1,260 a. and employed 52 men. (fn. 72)
Between c. 1886 and c. 1892 it was in hand, (fn. 73)
evidently because of difficulty in finding a tenant;
in 1890 between 25 and 35 workmen were employed. (fn. 74) Since 1921 there have once again been
two farms, Applesham farm, comprising c. 600 a.
in 1960 and 800 a. in 1976, and Church farm
comprising c. 1,000 a. in 1976. (fn. 75) In the late 19th
and early 20th centuries the chief crops were said
to be wheat, barley, oats, and turnips. (fn. 76) Dairying
was carried on until c. 1950, to supply the London
and Brighton markets. (fn. 77) Sheep-rearing was also
important in the 1920s and 1930s. (fn. 78) In 1960 there
were both sheep and beef cattle at Applesham farm.
Exceptionally heavy yields of wheat, oats, and
barley were taken there, partly as a result of Gell's
work 170 years before, and rape, clover, and lucerne
were also grown. (fn. 79) In the 1960s, as in Botolphs and
Bramber, the alluvial brookland in the east part of
the parish was again turned over to arable as a
result of improved drainage. In 1976 the downland
was farmed in 30-50 a. closes on a 3-year grass,
3-year corn rotation, and about 180 beef cattle and
800 breeding ewes were kept at the two farms. (fn. 80)
A mill at Applesham was mentioned in 1086 (fn. 81)
and 1490. (fn. 82) The only industry ever recorded in the
parish was salt-making. In 1086 two salterns at
Applesham yielded 5s., and an unstated number at
Coombes 50s. 5d. (fn. 83) There were still at least three a
century later. (fn. 84) Some mounds representing the
débris from the operation survived in 1962. (fn. 85) In
the early 19th century all those in employment
were supported by agriculture, (fn. 86) but a wheelwright
and a blacksmith were recorded in 1851, (fn. 87) and a
beer retailer in 1882. (fn. 88)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
A court of Applesham
manor is said to have been still held in 1701, but
there are no details of it. (fn. 89) There were two churchwardens in 1507. (fn. 90) Between 1560 and 1625 there
were occasionally two, but more often only one,
and after 1625 there was apparently always only
one. (fn. 91) Between 1627 and 1686 at least the office
went by rotation among householders, but could be
filled by proxy. (fn. 92) During the 18th and 19th centuries there were many long periods of office, since
in the 19th century at least there was often only one
parishioner suitable to serve. (fn. 93) In 1815 the sole
occupier, Mr. Gell, paid all the expenses of maintaining the poor without a rate. (fn. 94) The parish joined
Steyning union in 1835, (fn. 95) and Steyning West rural
district in 1894. (fn. 96) After 1933 it formed part of
Worthing rural district, (fn. 97) and in 1974 it was placed
in Adur district.
CHURCH.
A church was recorded at Coombes in
1086. (fn. 98) A priest was mentioned c. 1180, (fn. 99) but the
first reference to a rector is of about fifty years
later. (fn. 1) Since 1910 the rectory has been held in
plurality with Lancing vicarage. (fn. 2) The advowson of
the church was apparently held with the manor in
1261, (fn. 3) and was so thereafter until the 20th century. (fn. 4)
During the forfeiture of the Shelley estates after 1587
presentations were made by Elizabeth Holland in
1590, by the Crown in 1593, and by William Wady
under a grant from Jane Shelley in 1602. Richard
Caryll presented for a turn in 1677. (fn. 5) After 1910
representatives of the Wyndham family presented
alternately with the bishop of London, patron of
Lancing, until c. 1973 when their right of presentation was resigned to the bishop. (fn. 6) The living was
valued at £8 in 1291. (fn. 7) Though some demesne
tithes had been granted to Bramber college in 1073, (fn. 8)
the rector apparently owned all the tithes by 1341.
At the same date he had 12s. from offerings and
mortuaries and 19 a. of glebe. (fn. 9) The living was
valued at £10 in 1535. (fn. 10) There was a glebe house in
1635, (fn. 11) evidently the timber-framed building called
the Old Rectory in 1977, which is of medieval plan
but of the 16th century and later in date. It was
still in use in 1724 (fn. 12) but was described as unfit for
residence c. 1830. (fn. 13) By the early 20th century it had
become three cottages. (fn. 14) From at least the 18th
century the glebe land, which comprised 17 a. c.
1840, was occupied with the rest of the parish. (fn. 15)
The average income of the living was £201 c. 1830,
and £212 in 1851. (fn. 16) There may have been a chapel
of ease at Applesham in 1261. (fn. 17)
The rector of Coombes was resident in 1428. (fn. 18)
Two mid-16th-century rectors presented by the
recusant Shelley family were crypto-Papists: George
Shelley (1526-57) and John Wall (1557-8). (fn. 19)
Shelley, who was also incumbent of Parham and
Wiston, (fn. 20) apparently served through a curate. (fn. 21)
John Arnold, rector 1558-90, was also rector of
Wiston, but was resident in 1563 and 1579. (fn. 22) After
1590 most rectors were graduates. (fn. 23) Because of the
poverty of the living and the smallness of the
population, many held other livings too, for instance
one mid-17th-century incumbent was vicar of
Goring, and another was rector of Welby (Lincs.). (fn. 24)
Isaac Wilmer, rector 1658-60, was a member of a
locally important nonconformist family. (fn. 25) A later
17th-century rector was deprived as a nonjuror in
1689 and apparently became a Roman Catholic. (fn. 26)
He and his two successors all held Sompting too;
William Brownsword (1707-49) (fn. 27) resided there, but
supplied Coombes himself with a service and sermon
each Sunday. (fn. 28) Thomas Collins, rector 1753-1804,
resided at his other cure of Graffham, serving
through curates. (fn. 29) At the beginning of the 19th
century Lord Egremont paid the curate's stipend
out of the rent of Applesham farm. (fn. 30) Two early19th-century rectors were also non-resident, one
being incumbent of Wisborough Green. (fn. 31) Coombes
continued to be served by curates, some of whom
were incumbents of neighbouring parishes. (fn. 32) The
vicar of Lancing, for instance, served in 1825, and
the chaplain of St. Paul's, Worthing, in 1828. (fn. 33) In
1865 there was a service every Sunday, in the
morning in winter, and alternately in morning and
afternoon in the summer; communion was held
four times a year. (fn. 34) After 1874 the rector resided at
Lancing, (fn. 35) but almost invariably served Coombes
church himself. (fn. 36) Communion was celebrated 6
times a year c. 1884. (fn. 37) The Hamptons, who held
Applesham farm from 1837 to c. 1886, were strong
supporters of the church; after their departure
church life in the parish declined, especially since
the Passmores, farmers from 1901, were Wesleyans. (fn. 38)
Coombes church, of unknown dedication, (fn. 39) is
built of flint rubble with ashlar dressings, and has a
chancel and a nave with south porch. The small
nave is probably of the late 11th century and
retains its original south doorway and chancel arch.
The former west tower may have been of the same
date. The chancel was rebuilt in the 13th or early
14th century, when new windows were also put
into the nave. In the 15th and 16th centuries more
new windows were put into the south side of both
nave and chancel and into the east wall. The south
porch was added in the 16th century. The west
tower still stood in 1677, (fn. 40) but in 1724 it and part
of the church were said to have lately fallen down
and the parishioners were allowed to rebuild the
nave on a smaller scale. (fn. 41) The chancel was repaired
shortly before 1762. (fn. 42)
The church is remarkable for the large amount
of surviving wall painting. Much of it is of the 12th
century, but there is also work of later periods down
to the 18th century. The 12th-century work,
discovered in 1949, includes New Testament
scenes in the nave and decorative patterns in the
chancel, and has stylistic similarities with work at
Hardham and Clayton churches. (fn. 43) There is one
bell, possibly of the 12th century. (fn. 44) The remains of
a medieval crucifix found in the churchyard in 1877
hang near the pulpit. (fn. 45) The font consists of a
circular bowl on a brick plinth and is apparently
19th-century. (fn. 46) There are mural monuments and
floor slabs to members of the Wyatt and Gell
families among others. There are a silver cup and
paten cover of 1568. (fn. 47) The registers begin in 1538. (fn. 48)
NONCONFORMITY.
None known.
EDUCATION.
A dame school was attended by 10
or 12 children in 1818, and another by 10 children
in 1846, when it was supported by subscriptions. (fn. 49)
In 1833, however, the children of the parish had
been sent to school in Lancing at the expense of
Mr. Gell of Applesham farm, (fn. 50) and five years later
there was said to be no school in the parish. (fn. 51) Since
the late 19th century the children have attended
schools at Bramber, Lancing, Shoreham, or
Steyning. (fn. 52)
CHARITIES FOR THE POOR.
None known.