St. Mary's Church, Broadwater

The church stands on the site of a Saxon building. The Domesday Book (1086) records ‘Bradewatre … ibi eccla’, “there a church”. A Saxon doorway can be seen from outside on the south side of the chancel. It was discovered during renovations in 1936. Other Saxon doorjambs and window arches are preserved within the walls of the present tower. The present building is of Norman style using Caen stone and flints with Early English Gothic additions using Sussex Weald stone and flints. The clay subsoil has required successive repair and reinforcement of this tower. The first record of a Rector of the church in 1145 concurs with the view that the first smaller Norman building of a tower and short…