Page:Notes on the churches in the counties of Kent, Sussex, and Surrey.djvu/302

244 bottom of the stairs into the original house, and another at the western end into buildings now demolished. There are two late Perp. low timber door-frames, one near the front door, the other in the kitchen, which last apartment contains, brought from elsewhere, a curious ancient, very massive, oak table, constructed to draw out to nearly double its usual length. The house being constantly occupied, most of the old features of the interior are concealed.

141. .—As noticed in the Preface, (D.B.) in the description of this place mentions "church dues, circet, churchset," which were paid there, without actually declaring the existence of a church. In (Val. Eccl.) and to this day this church is joined with the chapel of Chithurst. Iping church consists of merely a nave. (Dallaway.)

142. .—This church comprises western tower, nave with south porch, a southern projection, being the Shurley chapel, and chancel. The general character is Dec., though there is one E.E. window, and some approach to features of that style, but the material being the sandstone of the country, the mouldings are coarser than they would be with a better stone, and therefore less easily recognised. In the chancel is an extraordinarily large piscina under a canopy, with Perp. ornaments added at the sides. Of this piscina the recess measures in height four feet six inches and a half, in width three feet one inch, and in depth thirteen inches. Adjoining the piscina, below a large window, are two plain sedilia, of which the sides are adorned in conformity with, though rather less richly than, the piscina. Westward of these is a small window with a transom. In the north wall is a tomb, which may have been the founder's, the canopy being cut off by the sill of a window above it. From the Shurley chapel a very wide squint, looking towards, not the altar, but, this tomb, suggests the idea, that the latter may have been used for the Easter sepulchre. The Shurley chapel contains several good specimens of linen panelling, which may be observed also upon a chest belonging to the church. Possibly the walls of the nave may be E.E., the chancel being Dec., but it is not easy to judge of work in sandstone.—At Isfield Place, now a farm-house, are portions of ancient brickwork, the remains of the castellated mansion of the Shurleys, which must have been of considerable extent; but those remains are not sufficient to admit of tracing the arrangement of the buildings. Connected with the old gateway, yet standing, is what may have been part of the offices,