Holy Trinity Church, Bosham

Visited by the Old Way and a one-day pilgrim route to Chichester cathedral

Highlights

• Early Celtic monastery of St Deicola
• Site of St Wilfrid’smissionary church
• Famous Saxonbuilding and chancel arch

Bosham is one of the earliest Christian sites in England, founded by Celtic monks from Scotland before Roman missionaries made it here. A quick glance at its imposing church tells you this place is important.

Holy Trinity is one of the most impressive Saxon buildings in the country. Its central arch was an outstanding piece of design in its day. It appears on the Bayeux Tapestry, recognizable 1,000 years later, admittedly with the word 'Bosham' helpfully stitched alongside.

There is some debate whether the arch is late Saxon or very early Norman. But there is no doubt that the church itself is largely Saxon. Three of the tall tower’s four storeys are definitely pre-Conquest, indicating an impressive structure before the Normans added their mark.

The church and Bosham itself have seen much history, making this a popular tourist destination. There is speculation that King Harold II, the last Saxon king of England, is buried at the foot of the chancel arch. It was he who supposedly died with an arrow in his eye at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. A request by a TV company in 2003 to excavate his possible grave was turned down by the church authorities, citing a lack of evidence.

The church is not just a tourist attraction, of course. There is a crypt chapel on your right as you enter, a place to seek more peaceful contemplation of Bosham’s Christian heritage. It is easy to forget this was once just a humble community of foreign monks.

Indeed the early Celtic monastery was a rather sorrowful outpost by all accounts. Nothing survives from their 7th-century settlement. “A Scottish monk called Deicola… had a very small monastery in Bosham, surrounded by woods and the sea. In it were five or six brethren who served the Lord in a life of humility and poverty. But none of the natives was willing to imitate their life or listen to their preaching.” (Bede’s History iv.13). One can only sympathize.

Poor St Deicola had to watch from the sidelines when the glamorous figure of St Wilfrid arrived in the 680s and set about converting the locals with customary zeal. Wilfrid was particularly hostile to the Celtic tradition, and the Scottish monastery at Bosham no doubt galvanized his efforts to bring Roman Christianity to Sussex. Again, nothing from St. Wilfrid’s period survives at Bosham.

Bosham is a perfect natural harbour, thought to be where King Canute sat on his throne in front of the sea and attempted to hold back the tide. It was Canute’s way of showing his sycophantic advisers that he was fallible, that God was mightier than all. With no waves breaking on this sheltered shore, it would have been a rather drawn-out spectacle. The advisers could only watch the water level rising very slowly around the ankles of their crafty king.

Because of this Canute connection, there is another royal burial commemorated here, a modern memorial set in the floor in front of the chancel arch. It is dedicated to the memory of the 8-year-old daughter of Canute, said to have drowned at Bosham around 1020. Bosham is said to be the traditional burial place of the little girl.

There is a small chance that this church might be older than Saxon. Some experts have pointed out that the central arch looks Roman in style. Roman remains have been found in the village, and the famous Roman villa at Fishbourne is only 2 miles away. This has fueled speculation that it was built on the site of a Roman basilica church. It’s an appealing idea and would make Bosham one of the world’s oldest Christian foundations. But there is no direct archaeological evidence. And it would hardly fit Bede’s description of a ‘very small monastery’.

Roman or not, Bosham can at least claim the title of oldest Christian place in Sussex. St Deicola (often spelt St Dicul) is an obscure figure, mentioned briefly in a few early martyrologies as well by Bede. He was given 18 April as a festival day to share with St Deicola of Lure, simply because their names match.

‍

Directions

Holy Trinity Church, High Street, Bosham PO18 8LY

www.boshamchurch.org.uk

W3W: steer.sofa.quits

GPS: 50.8288N 0.8594W

Bosham Station railway station is 2km

‍

Holy Trinity church is by the waterfront in Bosham village, at the end of the High Street and Shore Road. Park in the village car park, not least because Shore Road floods twice daily. The church is open during the day.

‍