Saxon England stood outside the general development of European
architecture, but the fact gives it none the less of interest in our
eyes."
The church of Holy Trinity, Bosham, is thus the most important Saxon
work left to us in Sussex, indeed save for the aisles and arcades and
the Norman and Early English additions to the chancel, that glorious
eastern window of five lancets, which in itself is worth a journey to
see, the clerestory, and the furniture we have here really a complete
Saxon work. The font is later Norman and not very interesting; but the
exquisite recessed tomb with the effigy of a girl lying upon it is a
noble work of the thirteenth century, said to mark the grave of
Canute's daughter. The crypt dates also from that time. Near the south
door is another fine canopied tomb, said to be that of Herbert of
Bosham. The windows are Norman in the clerestory and Early English and
Decorated elsewhere throughout the church. The stalls in the chancel
are Perpendicular. But here if anywhere in south-eastern England we
have a church dating from the Dark Age, in which happily we were
persuaded back again within the influence of the Faith and of Rome.
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