Funtington

Funtington is a village and civil parish in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England.[3] It lies on the B2146 Road 4.5 miles (7.2 km) west of Chichester. The parish also contains the villages of East and West Ashling, West Stoke and the Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve lies at its northern tip. There is a farm produce shop and a pub at the centre of the village. Funtington Primary School is in the village of West Ashling.

Funtington
Funtington Church
Funtington is located in West Sussex
Funtington
Funtington
Location within West Sussex
Area20.02 km2 (7.73 sq mi) [1]
Population1,549. 2011 Census[2]
• Density72/km2 (190/sq mi)
OS grid referenceSU800083
• London54 miles (87 km) NE
Civil parish
  • Funtington
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townCHICHESTER
Postcode districtPO18
Dialling code01243
PoliceSussex
FireWest Sussex
AmbulanceSouth East Coast
UK Parliament
WebsiteParish Council

Governance
Main article: Funtington (UK electoral ward)

An electoral ward in the same name exists. This ward stretches north to Compton with a total population taken at the 2011 census of 2,671.[4]

Religious sites

St. Mary's Anglican church, dating from the 12th Century, is the principal church in the parish of Funtington.[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2][7][lower-alpha 3]

St. Andrew's[lower-alpha 4] church at West Stoke is of Saxon origin. The chapel of St. Mary's at Sennicotts[lower-alpha 5] lies about two miles (3 km) to the east, off the Chichester road.[7]

The Old Congregational Chapel

The old Congregational Chapel, is a Grade II listed building, situated on the road between East Ashling and Funtington, opposite the turning to West Ashling.[9] The foundation stone of the chapel was laid on Friday, 18 September 1863. Most of the building material used was various stones, recovered from the fallen tower, of Chichester Cathedral.[10] The tower having fallen down during a storm in 1861.[11] The Chapel closed, as place of worship, between 1934 and 1938. It became a scout headquarters for a while and then a clock museum run by the Clock trust.[lower-alpha 6][13]

Landmarks

Kingley Vale lies on the border of the parish which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a national nature reserve. It is noted for its Yew woodlands.[14] The site is also known for its archaeological interest including Bronze Age and Roman earthworks, cross dykes, a camp and a field system.

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Charles Portal, 1st Viscount Portal of Hungerford (1893–1971), lived at West Ashling and is buried in Funtington churchyard.[15]

Pat Porteous (1918-2000), a Victoria Cross recipient who took part in the raid on Dieppe in August 1942 is buried in St Mary's churchyard.[16]

Notes
  1. Admiral Provo Wallis, one of the longest serving admirals in the British Royal Navy, is buried in the Funtington church yard.[5]
  2. The church of St Mary's was founded in 13th century. There was a restoration in 1859, which Nairn and Pevsner were very critical of describing it as "senseless".[6]: p. 39 
  3. According to the St Mary's parish website, the church has become busier, particularly amongst the young with a local school holding special choir services. The building has been extended to provide a church room, funded by local benefactors and parish money-raising events.[7]
  4. St Andrew's has a plastered flint exterior. The nave walls are 11th century.[6]: p. 375 
  5. Sennicotts is a house and country estate in the Parish of Funtington.[8]
  6. The Clock Trust was dissolved in 2018[12]

References
  1. "2001 Census: West Sussex – Population by Parish" (PDF). West Sussex County Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2009.
  2. "Civil parish population 2011". Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  3. OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton B2 edition. Publishing Date:2009. ISBN 978 0319240793
  4. "Ward population 2011". Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  5. "Memorials". Find a grave. 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  6. Nairn, Ian; Pevsner, Nikolaus (1965). Sussex. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-300-09677-1.
  7. "Funtington Parish". Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  8. "Sennicotts Regency Villa and Historic Gardens in West Sussex". Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  9. Historic England. "Old Spire Chapel, West Ashling, Chichester, PO18 9DH (1354506)". National Heritage List for England.
  10. "Church, Chapel and". The Building News and Engineering Journal. London: Builders News. 10: 785. 1863.
  11. Urban, Sylvanus (1861). "Fall of Chichester Spire". The Gentleman's Magazine and Historical Review. London: John Henry and James Parker. 210: 526–529.
  12. "The Clock Trust". Companies House. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  13. "Congregational Chapel". Funtington Archive. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  14. "SSSI Citation — Kingley Vale" (PDF). Natural England. Retrieved 4 April 2009.
  15. "Charles, Viscount Portal".
  16. "SUSSEX". www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk. Archived from the original on 28 October 2004. Retrieved 12 January 2022.

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