WEST BLATCHINGTON
Blechinton (xiii cent.); Blachyngton (xv cent.);
Blechington (xvi cent.).
This one-time lonely Downland parish lies immediately north-west of Hove, the building development
from which is rapidly swallowing up its fields. The
area of the parish was 873 acres, but in 1928 about
130 acres were transferred to Brighton and the remainder to the borough of Hove.
The parish extends northwards to include a deep
coombe known as Toad's Hole, beyond which it climbs
the Downs to a height of over 500 ft. Southwards, the
parish slopes towards the sea, from which it is separated
by Aldrington. The whole area was farmland until a
year or two ago, but the southern portion has now been
developed as far as the old village, through an arterial
road which has been driven from Portslade to join
up with another passing along Toad's Hole and climbs
the Downs on its way from Hove to the Dyke. The
northern part of the parish is covered with ancient
fields, and finds of Roman pottery have been made on
the summit of the low hill which marks its extreme
northern limits. (fn. 1)
Most of the ancient villages in the district have been
founded along old trackways passing down the spurs
which run southwards from the main range of the
Downs. West Blatchington was founded on the lower
slopes of such a spur, descending from Round Hill and
the Dyke Hill, along which there appears to have been
a way leaving the old track from Saddlescombe to
Portslade at the point where the vanished village of
Hangleton once stood, and sweeping thence eastwards
towards Preston. A Roman villa was discovered in
1818 a quarter of a mile north-west of the church, just
where the old way enters the parish. (fn. 2) The church and
manor-house stand at a point where this route is intersected by another passing between Portslade and
Patcham, but the former seems to have been the main
street of the tiny village, as a few old cottages, one of
which is partly stone-built and may be of medieval
origin, line its south-west side.
Behind these is the manor-house, now known as
Court Farm, surrounded by extensive farm buildings,
including an old windmill, erected in 1833. (fn. 3) Although
in present appearance quite modern, the house is built
round a core which is apparently of the late 15th
century. The remains of this are best seen on the northwest side of the house, where is a large angle buttress,
with two set-offs and a moulded plinth, partly covered
with modern cement plaster. The medieval wall
continues along the north-east side of the house, with
the remains of two more large buttresses. Inside there
is little to be seen, but the medieval portion can be
traced, of a stone-built structure of two bays with an
entrance doorway at the east end of the south-west wall.
The original outer arch of this has been hacked away,
but the inner three-centred arch with its simple chamfer
is plainly visible. This part of the house is in two
stories, the first floor being supported by large coarsely
chamfered beams with stopped ends. At the west end
of the south-east wall, on the upper floor, are the
remains of a similar arch to another doorway, or possibly
window. The modern wing which covers the southeast end of the medieval building clearly replaces one
or more destroyed bays of this, and the appearance of
the external walls and buttresses suggests that the building was originally higher. No old windows are visible
to-day, but a window with a foliated head is said to
have existed until quite recently. (fn. 4)
Manor
West Blatchington is not mentioned in
the Domesday Survey, and it may have been
part of the land at Patcham (q.v.) held by
Richard and his knight, for Richard gave a hide of land
at Blatchington to the monks of Lewes. (fn. 5) The overlordship of what was variously described as ⅓ or ¼
knight's fee in Blatchington descended with the rape, (fn. 6)
being shared by the three heirs in 1439. (fn. 7) From 1502
the manor appears to have been held directly of the
Crown and no longer of the barony of Lewes. (fn. 8)
The manor of WEST BLATCHINGTON was
called BLATCHINGTON-WAYFIELD from a
family, members of which are found witnessing charters
by the Earls Warenne from about 1215. (fn. 9) Richard de
Wiauill was the earl's steward in about 1230, (fn. 10) and in
1242–3 Richard de Wyavill held one-third of a knight's
fee in Blatchington. (fn. 11) Earl Warenne himself was said
to be holding Blatchington in 1284–5, (fn. 12) but in 1412
the manor was held by Richard Weyvile. (fn. 13)
As at Catsfield (q.v.), (fn. 14) the Weyviles seem to have
been succeeded by the family of Hardresse, or Hardres,
and about 1485 the manor was conveyed to Thomas
Combe, who sued James Hardres for detaining the
title-deeds. (fn. 15) Thomas Combe was dead before 1501,
when his son Thomas sued his trustees, stating that the
manor had been settled upon him and his brothers
John and Edward. The trustees were ordered by the
court to make a conveyance of the manor to Thomas
and his brothers in tail male successively, with remainder
to the right heirs of John de Combe, late of Combe in
the parish of Hastings. (fn. 16) In 1502 Thomas Combe and
his wife Elizabeth conveyed the manor to certain
persons, including Richard Emson and Edmund
Dudley, probably feoffees to the use of the king, and
Sir John Fyneux, chief justice of King's Bench, made
a similar conveyance. (fn. 17) Presumably as a result of these
transactions the manor was subsequently held of the
Crown as of the manor of Falmer (q.v.). (fn. 18)
The manor came into the hands of George, Lord
Bergavenny, before 1535. (fn. 19) In 1608 and 1617 Lord
Bergavenny paid a rent of 21s. 4d. for this manor to
the manor of Falmer. (fn. 20) In the later year it was said to
consist of sundry decayed tenements. It remained in
the family of the Lords Bergavenny, and in 1835 the
manor consisted of one large farm. (fn. 21) The present lord
of the manor is the Marquess of Abergavenny. (fn. 22)
A small freehold property in
West Blatchington called Lewkenors Croft (fn. 23) probably originated
in the land at Blatchington given
by Richard the Archdeacon to the
monks of Lewes, (fn. 24) and later part
of the priors' manor of Falmer. (fn. 25)
It appears to have been leased before the end of the 15th century
to the Scrase family, and afterwards became their property. (fn. 26)
Richard Scrase of Hangleton in
1500 left to his son Richard the
manor of Blatchington and such
store of corn, &c., and such stock as he would need 'to
mayntene his housholdrye there'. (fn. 27) Presumably he
had a lease of Blatchington Wayvill Manor,
and on 4 November 1529 George, Lord
Bergavenny, granted a lease of it for 57
years to the son, Richard Scrase, (fn. 28) who
in 1534 was holding the prior's estate at
Blatchington. (fn. 29) Richard died in 1549, and
his widow Mary in 1552. (fn. 30) His son Edward also had a lease of the manor from
Lord Bergavenny, but when he died in
1576, his son Richard being a minor,
Edward Covert, the overseer of his will,
by misrepresentations obtained in 1583 a
new lease for three lives. Richard Scrase
on attaining his majority recovered possession. (fn. 31) He died in 1625, (fn. 32) his son Tuppen
Scrase in 1633, and his grandson Richard
in 1634. (fn. 33) Tuppen had other sons but
West Blatchington seems to have passed
to his younger brother Henry Scrase, who
died in 1641 leaving a widow, Joan, who
continued to live there with her sons. (fn. 34) They suffered
for their faith as Quakers and were repeatedly imprisoned. (fn. 35) Members of the Scrase family continued
as tenants of Blatchington Manor, until the tenancy
passed by marriage to the Hodsons, Mrs. Hodson,
the tenant in 1830, being the granddaughter of
a Scrase. (fn. 36) The family were still tenants as late as
1882. (fn. 37)
Scrase. Azure a dolphin argent with fins gules and tail or between three scallops or.
Church
The church of ST. PETER stands
about a hundred yards to the north-west of
the manor-house. It consists of a nave,
chancel with a vestry to the south, a south porch, and
a large square bell-turret with a squat spire over the
west end of the nave. To the west of this may be seen
the lower parts of the walling of a curious annexe to the
nave.
The church consisted originally of a 12th-century
nave and chancel. The western annexe appears to be
contemporary with the nave itself. The chancel was
rebuilt later in the medieval period, and provided with
a south chapel. In 1596 the church had been practically
disused for fifty years and was regarded as a chapel to
the manor-house, the only dwelling-house in the parish,
for whose benefit occasional services were held. (fn. 38) By
1700 there were no doors or windows, bell or other
furniture. (fn. 39) Soon after this, the church seems to have
fallen entirely to ruin, (fn. 40) remaining so until 1890, when
it was rebuilt.
The nave with its annexe appears to be of 12thcentury date. Of the nave proper only the south wall
and the lower part of the north wall appear to be
ancient, and are of flint with stone dressings. The
quoins of the west wall, with the walling adjoining
them, are probably of the 12th century, and the wall
contains two round-headed 12th-century windows with
deep internal splays. The south doorway of the nave is
15th-century and four-centred without spandrels or
hood-mould. East of this is a modern single-light
window inserted in 1890 in place of the original 12thcentury window. (fn. 41)
PARISH CHURCH of ST. PETER WEST BLATCHINGTON
The chancel, vestry, and porch are modern and of
brick with flint facing.
There are no other old features within the church,
but built into the interior face of the north wall,
opposite the south door, are a number of architectural
fragments, including portions of a 12th-century arch
showing roll-and-billet mouldings, (fn. 42) portions of tracery,
and what appears to be part of a medieval grave slab.
The remains of the western annexe are featureless
except for the lower part of its west doorway, which
appears to have been of the 14th century.
During the period when the church was derelict, a
brass plate commemorating one Richard Scrase of
Hangleton, another of Blatchington, and Edward
Scrase of Blatchington, who died in 1499, 1519, and
1579 respectively, was found in the ruins and taken to
Portslade Church, where it may be seen fixed to the
east wall of the south aisle. (fn. 42a)
Advowson
The church of West Blatchington
was given to the monks of Lewes by
William de Warenne, the 2nd earl. (fn. 43)
In 1252 and 1318 presentations made in error by
successive Earls Warenne were revoked by them. (fn. 44)
The priors of Lewes remained in possession of the
advowson until the Dissolution, (fn. 45) when it was granted
to Thomas Cromwell in 1538, (fn. 46) and on his attainder
it reverted to the Crown. In 1557 the advowson was
granted to John and Richard Kyme, who sold it in the
same year to Edward Bellingham. (fn. 47) The living was
joined for a short time to that of Hangleton (q.v.) by
Archbishop Whitgift in June 1585. (fn. 48) In 1619 Sir
Edward Bellingham sold the advowson of West
Blatchington to Thomas Bishop and Robert Percehay (fn. 49)
who presented in 1620 and 1625. (fn. 50) In 1627 Sir
Edward Bishop sold it to Christopher Butler of Wisborough Green, clerk, and Thomas Carr of Oving,
clerk, (fn. 51) and in 1662 Carr sold to Sir John Stapeley, (fn. 52)
who presented in May 1664. (fn. 53) John Dunstall was
patron in 1694, (fn. 54) and in 1707 he conveyed the advowson to Henry Pelham and others, (fn. 55) with the intention
that it should be annexed to the vicarage of Brighton. (fn. 56)
The union was effected by deed of 1 Aug. 1744.
Presentation to the united benefice was to be in turn
by the Bishop of Chichester and Henry Campion; but
although the latter presented in 1804 all later presentations have been made by the Bishop. (fn. 57) The two
livings are shortly to be disunited. (fn. 58)