With a day off and the promise of some winter sunshine I went in search of a church to photograph and I wasn’t disappointed when I reached St Mary’s in North Stoke. Tucked away in the depths of the Sussex countryside, not far from the River Arun, it’s redundant these days and cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust.
The light inside was so beautiful, with parts of the building bathed in golden sunshine, which looks much warmer than it really was!
Two of the charming carvings I found around the church - a sheep’s head and a hand mysteriously reaching out from a corbel.
These three nooks are intended as seats for the clergy during services, although I can’t imagine they’d be terribly comfortable.
The church may not be used regularly these days but it still has some lovely handmade kneelers.
Remnants of a medieval wall painting.
I couldn’t resist this pool of light on the font cover.
A symphony of stripes in the porch.
Photos taken 22 January 2024