St. Denys

There is a small town in East Sussex called Rotherfield. Here we find a most interesting church. On this site, in 792 AD, A church was founded by Duke Bertoald of the South Saxons to honor St. Denys. St. Denys was the first bishop of Paris, martyred for his refusal to make sacrifices to Mercury as the behest of the Roman Emperor Valerian. The Benedictine Abbey of St. Denys was founded northeast of Paris in 629. It was here that the ill Duke went seeking healing. Having been healed, he returned home to found this church in thanks.

Of course, there are no graves in the church yard from this period. There is, in fact no church building here from this era. The first church was built of wood. The site may seen three such wooden churches come and go before the stone church was built.

The present church dates from 1060. Imagine that. Certainly, not all parts are that old, but there are parts to be seen that are.

This gravestone very much resembles the sort we saw in Morocco back in 2014. 

The spire is part of that 1060 construction. It is a handsome church from the outside.

I'm always a sucker for the stones that have acquired color as they age and this one is an excellent example.

The entrances to this church have wonderful doors. This entrance looks as it might have come from a Tolkien story.