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Travels in West Sussex
At the beginning of September I went to stay with my brother who lives just outside Salisbury. I decided to come back through West Sussex. I first stopped at Fishbourne Roman Palace some two miles to the west of Chichester. This was discovered in the 1960’s as a workman digging a drain came across a mosaic floor. The archaeologists have been at work since then and they have reconstructed a huge palace. Only the north side can be visited under a canopy; there one sees a whole series of fine mosaic floors. There is a good museum with many most interesting finds and god explanations of the rest of the palace. Half of the main courtyard has been reconstructed and a garden with the sorts of plants that would have grown in the palace’s heyday. I was amazed at the great size of the palace.
Next I went into Chichester. In 1982, a beautiful Georgian House of 1712, opened as Palant House Gallery. The heart of its collection was the art bequeathed by Walter Hussey who had been Vicar of St Matthew’s, Northampton and Dean of Chichester. He has commissioned the finest works of art for churches in the 20th century. In St Matthew’s a vast Henry Moore Mother and Child and Graham Sutherland’s Crucifixion. In Chichester, Graham Sutherland’s The risen Christ appearing to Mary Magdalene, Hans Feuerbach’s Baptism of Christ, John Piper’s Tapestry behind the high altar, Marc Chagall’s Stained Glass Window, Benedicite among others. His collection in the gallery contains many fine and interesting mid 20th century paintings. This has been supplemented by Charles Kearley’s collection of the same period and other bequests and gifts. This July the gallery was reopened after considerable alteration. Around the house, in a 21st century style in which each part complements the other, Colin St John Wilson has built a fine extension with more gallery space, a library, bookshop, lecture room and restaurant. He has also given his own fine collection of British Art of the 2nd half of the 20th century. So here is a wonderful collection of some of the best 20th century British Art in wonderful surroundings. After this I went to the cathedral to see many of its glories.
Then, out into the country about 5 miles north of Chichester to the Weald and Downland Open-Air Museum at Singleton. Here over 40 buildings have been brought together from the 13th to the 19th century, many from Kent. These are set out in beautiful surroundings. It was most fascinating to see a water mill grinding flour with mill stream and waterwheel carefully put in place. Finally, on to Bignor a large Roman Villa nestling under the downs and then the long journey back to Maidstone.
The weather was wonderful and it is good to see a very few of the many fine things West Sussex has to offer.
Christopher Morgan - Jones
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