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St James the Less Church is the Anglican parish church of North Lancing, an ancient village which has been absorbed into the modern town of Lancing in the district of Adur, one of seven local government districts in the English county of West Sussex. It was founded in the 12th century in the most northerly of the three settlements in Lancing parish, which has Saxon origins. The present building is mostly 13th-century in appearance, and structural work has been carried out several times since—particularly in the 18th and 19th centuries, when the church was restored from a ruinous condition. English Heritage has listed the church at Grade I for its architectural and historical importance. ==History== The name ''Lancing'' suggests Saxon influence (the ''-ing'' suffix implied, in Saxon terms, a temporary settlement), and remains dating from the 6th century have been found nearby.〔 At the time of the Domesday survey in 1086, the Lord of the Manor of nearby Broadwater, Robert le Savage, held the manor of Lancing. The land in the parish, which extended from the South Downs to the English Channel coast, was chiefly agricultural.〔 Around this time, the large manor was divided into several smaller ones, of which North Lancing and South Lancing (as they became known) were the most important. Gradually, three settlements developed: North Lancing, closest to the Downs; South Lancing, near the coast; and the nearby Pende (now vanished), on the coast and briefly a successful port.〔 No church existed in the area at that time, but one was established in North Lancing in the 12th century:〔 a date of around 1120 has been suggested from analysis of surviving masonry at the ends of the chancel.〔 In about 1180,〔 an arched doorway, now forming part of the porch on the south side, was added.〔〔 The whole structure was rebuilt between about 1280 and 1300, giving the church its present layout.〔〔 It presents a consistent and harmonious architectural impression, despite the long period of time needed to complete the work.〔 A stair turret leading up to the tower was built in the 15th century; part of the north aisle had to be blocked to accommodate this. In the 17th century—especially after the Restoration of 1660—Anglican religious worship declined and many churches in England fell into disrepair. This attitude was common among the people of Sussex, where church attendances declined dramatically in many villages, including North Lancing.〔 The first sign of structural decay at St James the Less Church came in 1618, when the upper part of the tower collapsed. By 1621 it had been repaired by cutting it down in size and topping it with a "Sussex cap"-style roof.〔〔 The rest of the building quickly fell into ruins, however: birds were found to be nesting inside,〔 pigeons bred there and the font was empty.〔 By 1662, the church could no longer be used.〔 The situation improved in the late 18th century, when some restoration work was carried out.〔 More substantial rebuilding in 1827 added extra pews and altered several windows.〔〔 The most recent addition was a vestry in 1934.〔〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「St James the Less Church, Lancing」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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