Slindon, the Archbishops of Canterbury and Chichester 686 – 1542
Special Exhibition and Talk by local historian, Andrew Foster
This event is in conjunction with Chichester Cathedral’s 950th Anniversary year and is taking place at St Mary’s Slindon on Wednesday 12th March at 7.00pm.
Slindon has always been famous for its close links with Canterbury, ever since several parishes including Slindon, were granted to the then Archbishop of Canterbury in 686. For nearly 900 years until the Manor was handed back to Henry VIII at the time of the Reformation, many Archbishops came to stay at their residence in Slindon. Who came to stay and what do we know about them?
Local historian Andrew Foster has been researching this very subject and will be revealing the famous and infamous characters who enjoyed the view across the deer park to the sea. Andrew will be giving a talk and introducing the exhibition, drawing on art and manuscripts from Chichester Cathedral and Lambeth Palace. The talk and exhibition arranged by Slindon History Society is taking place in conjunction with Chichester Cathedral’s 950th anniversary year in 2025.
Rev Peter Dyson, Rector at St Mary’s, commented: “How exciting to think that characters we know from history – Thomas Becket, Stephen Langton (of Magna Carta fame) and Thomas Cranmer for instance – may once have walked the aisles of the church where we still worship today.”
Here is an image of Lambert Barnard’s painting (1530’s) in Chichester Cathedral which we use in the exhibition. Caedwalla, Anglo-Saxon King of Wessex, gave St Wilfrid, a missionary from Northumbria, the land for the ‘diocese’ based then at Selsey in around 685. One year later St. Wilfrid granted several parishes based on Pagham, including Slindon, to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Theodore (668-690), which was the start of an important chapter in Slindon’s fascinating history. The exhibition will remain in place until 25th May 2025.
Price: £6 (incl. a glass of wine) to be paid at the door. No need to book. Wheelchair access available.
For more information please contact Moira Richards, moira.wordpower@btinternet.com on 01243 814735, or Andrew Foster, andrew@awfoster.com on 01243 553987.