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Click to View Products by CategoryThe first question is, why Cowfold? Well yes, on the face of it, it does seem a tad random. But it's one of those villages that I've driven through countless times, on my way to clients, to see suppliers, on a jolly etc. etc. but never stopped (never time), parked up and had just at least a half an hour's wander, with the mobile phone camera handy.
To slightly contradict myself, some years ago (when I was self employed and using my hands to make things), I had a client on the southern outskirts of the village who, at the time, was in the process of restoring a Medieval building. A delapidated oak framed barn, that was originally built as a home and was to become one again. The owner commissioned an oak external door for the kitchen, as well as two very wide counterboarded oak doors, in lancet head frames, which were to reinstate the north and south entrances of the original great hall's service end. I've slipped in a few photos of these at the end of this blog!
So back to my very brief half hour wander. This mainly centres around the village church, named St Peters in the 15th century, and the fascinating cluster of cottages, that mark the south and east borders of the churchyard. Of this, the first eclesiastical structure encountered, the pretty lychgate, is actually the last to have been built:
The lychgate to Cowfold church, was built in the 1930's.
There has been a church on this site, since 1232 and it was originally thought to have been a daughter church of nearby Henfield. It is built of rubble and coursed ashlar and has been added to considerably, as well as repaired and restored, over the last seven centuries or so. Notably around the mid 17th century, with a major restoration in the late 19th century and roof renewal in the late 1920's. All in line with what you'd expect from such an important ancient building, that would have been the very heart of the community for much of its life.
Looking from the south eastern corner of the churchyard, shows the south aisle, built in 1548, after bequests some 17 years earlier, south chapel, again 16th century, and the chancel (slightly hidden from view by the large evergreen tree). This part of the building, along with the nave behind, forms the oldest constructions, dating back to the 13th century. Both the latter have similar architectural features, although the chancel had new windows inserted in the 16th century.
The churchyard is bound on its eastern and northern side, pretty well entirely by cottages. To the right of where I stood to take the above photo, are a group of dwellings, which includes a late medieval timber framed hall and other 16th century buildings. These line the A281 main road which runs from Horsham (north) to Henfield (south).
An early timber framed building borders the eastern side of Cowfold churchyard.
The northern edge of the churchyard is lined with a multitude of buildings, of an amazing variety of architectural styles (brick, weatherboarded and rendered) and all manner of shapes and sizes. They are mostly of 17th century origin, although one is believed to be 16th century. In the year 1635, only four dwellings existed here, along what is now known as Church Path, but six more were built just two years later. Most of the structures we see today, have been rebuilt at various times.
Looking eastwards along Church Path, although here, the path is grass.
Looking westwards along church path.
These cottages face the north side of the church.
The north porch, with its crown post roof, was built in the 15th century.
Walking back towards Church Path, I couldn't resist taking some more photos of these pretty cottages.
Brick built cottage, with weatherboarded first floor and painted wooden casement windows, under a clay tiled roof, looks over ancient (consecrated in 1894) burial plots, in unnervingly (to some) close proximity.
Spot the 21st century intrusions, on this otherwise period English village scene!
Follow the stone path round to the left and it brings you out adjacent to a large recreation field, which is part of the nearby primary school.
The west tower of St Peters, viewed across the recreation field, was built in the 15th century, when it originally had just three bells. Records show it had four in 1724, five in 1864 and a sixth was added in 1906.
A little more trivia: Cowfold enjoyed its first taste of electricity in 1927 and piped mains water in 1938, when a sewage works was built on the south-east of the village. Consequently, much development and a subsequent increase in population took place during the latter half of the 20th century.
To find on Google Maps, click Cowfold Church (opens in new link/tab)
As promised above, here is the other (somewhat tenuous) link I have with Cowfold. I feel privileged to have been asked to make three oak doors for this fabulous Grade 11 listed Medieval Wealden Hall House, whilst the then owner was involved in several years of painstaking restoration of what had become a crumbling wreck, perilously close to collapse.
The north oak door and lancet head frame, made by yours truly sometime around 2004.
The south door and frame. The frame is made up of just two pieces of oak, traditionally called durns, jointed and pegged at the top centre of the lancet head.
Believed to date from 1374, the building was, or more appropriately had been, used as a barn for a number of years. The southern side of the oak frame had to be jacked up, to enable repairs to the lower sections of the storey posts and the insertion of new sole plates, whilst adequate footings and masonry sleeper walls were also built. You should be able to spot some of the substantial repairs and new oak in the photographs. So good was the restoration and conservation of what remained, that it won the West Sussex County Council prestigious building design award in 2006. I was particularly chuffed to have played a very small part of that and, as an added bonus, particularly proud that my doors were featured in the estate agents photographs, when it was sold in 2014, for around £1.1 million.
A closer look at the south door shows that it is in fact rectangular and shuts against the flat interior surface of the lancet head frame. You can see how the elements have turned the oak into a wonderful silvery grey colour. The door itself, is constructed in what is know as the 'counter-boarded' method. That is moulded vertical external planks nailed to horizontal internal planks. This, and the north door, hang on massive hand-forged bespoke iron hinges.
Don't expect such doors to be draught free!
Author: Nicholas Berry
Bespoke Reproduction Early Oak Furniture Specialist
From a small boy at infant school, I've had a passion for early furniture and architecture, embracing the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. I’ve spent almost three decades designing and making replica early oak furniture (and architectural woodwork)...with my own hands!
Nowadays, together with a team of highly skilled and equally passionate craftspeople, I use that valuable experience helping clients commission, from our company, the very best in bespoke oak reproduction furniture, with a particular emphasis on personal service.
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Bibliography:
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/sussex/vol6/pt3/pp185-188
http://www.westsussex.info/cowfoldhistory/village.shtml
http://webmedia1.guildproperty.co.uk/properties/709715/MED_709715_2279176.pdf
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