APPLEDRAM
The parish of Appledram, or Apuldram, contains
1,111 acres, of which about 180 are tidal water and
foreshore. On the west it is bounded by the main
channel of Chichester Harbour, on the north by the
River Lavant, (fn. 1) and on the south partly by a small
stream that runs into the harbour below Birdham Mill.
There is no village. The church stands by itself in the
north of the parish, with the Manor House and Rymans
to the south-east, on a road running south from New
Fishbourne to connect with the main Chichester road
and with that leading to Dell Quay. (fn. 2)
Rymans, (fn. 3) known in 1656 as Appledram Place, (fn. 4)
takes its name from William Ryman, a prominent
lawyer, who acquired the freehold in 1410 and built
the house. Of this there remains the three-storied solar
wing, with a two-storied wing projecting from its south
front, all of stone from the Bembridge and Ventnor
quarries and very little altered. To the east of the main
block is a two-storied brick wing, containing the former
Hall, built in the early 17th century but entirely remodelled in 1913. North of the main block, or 'tower',
are domestic offices of the 19th century and later. The
ground floor of the 15th-century block has an original
doorway, with four-centred head, from the Hall, and
another in the south-west angle to a stone newel staircase which runs the whole height of the house. The
original main staircase to the Great Chamber on the
first floor was in the south-west corner; the present
17th-century staircase was inserted in 1913, when the
fire-place was also reconstructed. The room projecting
to the south has two of its original windows, that on
the east of one light, on the west two, both squareheaded. The south window is modern, replacing one
of three or four lights constructed of Dutch bricks early
in the 16th century. An outer doorway in the east wall
is also original, as is one jamb of the fire-place, and in
the south-west corner are remains of a garderobe. The
room above this retains its 15th-century windows in all
three walls, its fire-place, and garderobe. The roof,
now ceiled, retains its two original trusses. On the
north this room opens into the Great Chamber, lit by
large square-headed windows, each of two trefoiled
lights, in the south and west walls. There are remains
of the fire-place in the north wall, and in the thick east
wall a straight flight of stone stairs leads up to a similar
chamber on the second floor. The roof above this is
a featureless construction, probably of the 17th century.
To the south-east of the house a fine brick cart-shed, of
the early 17th century, has been converted into a
garage.
The Manor House, west of Rymans, is an early- to
mid-17th-century house of two stories and attics, facing
east. The front wall is of stone rubble with bricks at
the angles and window-openings. At the first-floor level
and the eaves are moulded brick courses with dentels.
The windows were wide but are now reduced and
altered. The north end has a stone rubble plinth or
basement that may be more ancient, but the wall above
it has brick angles and string-courses like the front.
The head has a picturesque 'Dutch' gable, rare in this
part of the county. The string-course from the front
eaves is carried across the wall and carries two pilasters;
above these is a similar string-course, breaking forward
over them, and forming the base of the middle pediment of the gable-head. The pilasters are flanked by
curved ramps with moulded kneelers. A two-light
mullioned window between the pilasters is blocked.
The windows to the two lower stories have been reduced in width and, like the front, fitted with sash
frames. The south end is rough-casted and has a plain
gable-head. A wing behind is of late-17th-century
brickwork and has a window with a drip-course. An
adjoining wing is of modern brickwork. The roofs
are tiled and the chimney-shafts are plain. The interior appears to be all modernized.
A cottage, ½ mile south of Rymans, is of red
and black bricks of c. 1700 and has a thatched
roof.
The south-west corner of the
parish, on the tidal channel, was
the site of flourishing salt works (fn. 5)
during the first quarter of the
19th century, and probably for
many years before then, as
'salterns' are marked on Yeakell
and Gardner's map of 1783.
Battle Abbey. Gules a cross or between two crowns or in the first and fourth quarters and two swords argent with hilts or in the second and third and a mitre azure on the cross.
MANOR
The manor was originally part of Bosham,
and was detached from
it c. 1125 by Henry I, who gave it
to Battle Abbey in exchange for
property at Reading. (fn. 6) At the Suppression in 1538 it returned to the
Crown, and was granted in 1570
to William Howard, Lord Howard of Effingham, (fn. 7) whose
son Charles, Earl of Nottingham, conveyed in 1616
to William Ryman, a brother of the then frecholder. (fn. 8)
In 1619 he conveyed to William Smyth of Binderton, (fn. 9)
who released in 1620 to his second son Thomas. (fn. 10)
From this time to 1730 the descent of the manor follows that of Binderton (q.v.); in 1730 the Chancery
partition assigned the manor to Mary, daughter of
George Smyth, (fn. 11) who, in 1739, settled it on her husband William Hamilton and his heirs. (fn. 12) She survived
her husband; on her death without issue in 1767 (fn. 13) the
manor passed to her stepson William Gerard Hamilton
(known as 'Single-Speech Hamilton'), (fn. 14) then successively to his cousin William Hamilton 1796, Archdeacon Anthony Hamilton 1811, William Richard
Hamilton, sometime Minister at Naples, 1812, William John Hamilton 1859, (fn. 15) Robert William Hamilton
1867; the latter in 1872 sold to the Ecclesiastical Commission, the present lords of the manor.
CHURCH
The church of THE VIRGIN MARY
(fn. 16)
stands on open ground north of the
manor. It is built of flint rubble with
dressings of ashlar, principally Caen stone, and is roofed
with tile; the sides and small broach spire of the bellcote are shingled. It consists of a chancel, nave, and
south aisle built in the 13th century, but incorporating
in the north wall of the nave a fragment of an earlier
building. In about the 14th century a small sacristy,
since destroyed, was added north of the chancel, and
in the 15th century the present south porch. A small
modern vestry and heating chamber adjoin the north
wall of the nave. The church was restored in 1877,
when the whole of the roofing, including the bell-cote,
was renewed. (fn. 17)
At each eastern corner of the chancel is a pair of
single-stage buttresses with sloping offsets, all 13thcentury except the northernmost, a modern restoration
(the former sacristy evidently bonded in here). In the
east wall is a lancet triplet, rising in the centre, having
moulded rear-arches and Purbeck marble shafts with
moulded caps and bases; in the sill of the northernmost
lancet is a small recess, of unknown date and purpose.
In the south wall of the chancel is a trefoil-headed
piscina of the 13th century, and in the north a blocked
doorway with pointed head, perhaps 14th-century,
formerly leading to the sacristy. In both north and
south walls are lancet triplets similar to that in the east
wall but with all lights of the same height; west of
these are single-light lancet low side windows with
interior rebates and plain splay jambs and rear-arches,
these are slightly later in date than the other windows;
the exterior of that on the south side shows signs of the
design having been altered subsequent to the original
building. The sanctuary is floored, partly with ancient
encaustic tiles, partly with modern copies. South of
the altar is a floor slab of the 13th century, of Purbeck
marble, with tapering sides and a floriated cross. (fn. 18) A
moulded string-course runs round the south, east, and
north walls. There is no chancel arch.
The north wall of the nave has the head, only visible
from the outside, of a small round-headed window of
the 12th century, and a plain pointed arched north
door, perhaps 13th-century, now leading to the vestry.
The south arcade is of three bays, the arches being of
two chamfered orders, pointed; each respond is square
on plan, with a corbel to carry the inner arch order,
the moulded abacus is continued as an impost. The
two piers are circular with moulded capitals and bases;
all is of 13th-century date. In the west wall is a modern
window of two lights in late-13th-century style, replacing a window of the later 15th century. In the
north wall are the remains of a rood-loft stair. At the
south-west angle is a single buttress and at the northwest a clasping buttress, both of similar design and date
to those of the chancel.
ST. MARY the VIRGIN ~ APULDRAM ~
The south aisle has a modern east window of similar
design to that of the west window of the nave, inserted
in 1870, a south doorway with moulded jambs and
pointed arch without impost, all stonework being
modern, and a single plain lancet of the 13th century
in the west wall. Piercing the east respond of the
arcade is a squint with cinquefoiled head, probably
15th-century; in the east wall are two corbels, presumably to bear images; in the south wall is a small
piscina with credence shelf, probably 15th-century
(the basin is a modern restoration and unpierced).
East of the south door is the remains of a holy water
stoup.
The east bay of the aisle is divided off by an oak
screen of the 15th century. This is of three bays
framed with moulded beams; each side bay has solid
panelling surmounted by a two-light opening, each
opening having an ogee cinquefoiled arch with a quatrefoiled circle in each spandrel. The middle bay, which
is the doorway, has a similar head, but the mullion
between the lights rests on a three-centred arch. The
lower part of the door is solid, the upper is of two
lights each with a cinquefoiled four-centred arch. This
chapel may have been dedicated to St. Nicholas, as
there was a brotherhood under his patronage in the
16th century. (fn. 19)
The south porch has a plain single-light window
with square head, probably 15th-century, in each of
the east and west walls, and a pointed doorway, entirely
modern, in the south. On the sill of the east window
is a mass-dial, the south jamb of the window acting as
gnomon and the four lines of the dial showing the
times of 7.45, 8.45, 10.15, and 11.15 respectively.
The font is of Purbeck marble, having a square basin
ornamented with shallow round-arched arcading; it
rests on five shafts (all but the centre one being modern
renewals). It is of the 12th century, and shows signs
of having been at one time exposed to the weather,
perhaps in the era of the Commonwealth.
There is a sanctuary chair of 17th-century date, and
a pair of tall pricket candlesticks of about the 18th,
perhaps of foreign workmanship. There is one medieval bench, made up in 1871 from such parts of ancient
ones as were not past preservation.
The church is remarkable in possessing two 14thcentury bells, (fn. 20) inscribed respectively SANCTA MARIA
ORA PRO NOBIS + P.W. and BENEDICTA SIT SANCTA
TRINITAS + P.W.
The communion plate includes an Elizabethan cup
of unusual design, with a conical bowl, and a plain
silver paten, perhaps contemporary; (fn. 21) also a pewter
tankard flagon of c. 1600.
The registers began for baptisms in 1661 and for
marriages and burials in 1693. (fn. 22)
ADVOWSON
Although the manor of Appledram
had been granted to Battle Abbey, the
ecclesiastical jurisdiction remained
with the collegiate church of Bosham. The canon
holding the Prebend of Appledram, valued at £20 in
1291, (fn. 23) was responsible for providing a priest to serve
the chapel. Until the 15th century the bodies of the
dead had to be taken to Bosham for burial; but in
1447, in response to a petition from the inhabitants
setting out the difficulties and even dangers of such
journeys, the Bishop of Exeter, as head of the College
of Bosham, gave the chapel the right of burial. (fn. 24) In
1666 Bosham was still asserted to be the parish church, (fn. 25)
and it was not until 1818 that Appledram acquired the
standing of a perpetual curacy. (fn. 26) The patronage, descending with Bosham, is in the hands of the Dean and
Chapter of Chichester.