Church micro #1963 St George Brede Traditional Geocache
Church micro #1963 St George Brede
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(micro)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
The Parish Church of St George
Centrepiece of this rural community is the church of St George, on a hill overlooking the Brede River valley. The building is mainly constructed of sandstone and ironstone, but some stone is from Caen in Normandy - reflecting the Norman history of this part of England. The Manor of Brede was granted to the Abbey of Fecamp about 1031, and the Benedictine monks from Normandy occupied it until about 1416. Laurence, the first Parson of Brede, arrived from Normandy in 1190. The church has expanded since the first Norman church was built, but the pillars of the south arcade of the nave are still Transitional Norman work of c. 1180
The Oxenbridge family, owners of Brede Place for 250 years, and with close family links to Queen Elizabeth I, are commemorated in a beautiful Chantry which contains the tombs of many family members including Robert and Anne Oxenbridge and their son Sir Goddard, who acquired an unjust posthumous reputation as the cannabalistic 'Brede Giant'! His recumbent tomb effigy is a feature of the church. According to local legend the children of East Sussex got their revenge by sawing him in half at nearby Groaning Bridge, where the 'giant's blood' (actually iron staining) is displayed.
Several former rectors are also buried beneath the Chancel.
Throughout the church there are many monuments, special windows and artefacts with construction dates back to the fifteenth century. The small stone window at the west end of the north aisle, above the children's altar, is thought to be from the late Norman Transitional period, making it the oldest window in the church. It has a modern dedication to St George.
A more recent inclusion is the statue of Madonna and Child, which was carved from the trunk of an oak tree by sculptor Clare Sheridan, first cousin of Sir Winston Churchill. Clare was brought up at Brede Place, and later returned to live in Brede.
The Tower features a peal of six bells, with the oldest having been cast in 1628. If you dont sign the log book please dont log it online. Thanks.
If anybody would like to expand to this series please do, I would just ask that you could let Sadexploration know first so he can keep track of the Church numbers and names to avoid duplication.
There is also a Church Micro Stats page found via the Bookmark list
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
G-Cbyr Ebpx