Chance discoveries

The weather has been grey and damp here for some time, but unseasonably warm. Some of the plants in the gardens are totally confused and don't know what season it is. Very few snowdrops have flowered yet, but crocuses and daffodils are already in bloom and in one garden I even saw a few agapanthus - they shouldn't bloom until high summer.

We did have a cold, clear day on Saturday, giving me the chance to get out and take some photos. I already knew that the water meadows between Bury and Pulborough were flooded and they usually provide some picturesque shots back towards the South Downs, so I headed there. Unfortunately, or may be fortunately as it turned out, I took a wrong turn as I was leaving Amberley and ended up in Greatham. I had seen the name before on signposts, but had never visited this hamlet. It's only a very small place, but is quite delightful. It sits on the River Rother, which joins the River Arun.

There is an old medieval bridge, which was built for Sir Henry Tregoz. the owner of Greatham Manor, in the 13th century. The bridge was a strategic crossing point during the Civil War and a minor battle was fought there, with local Royalists trying to prevent General Waller crossing there. The dead were subsequently buried in the graveyard of the nearby church.

I did not have time to visit the church, but hope to do so later in the year. A quick trawl of the internet shows it to be a tiny building that is not dedicated to any particular saint, with the original part being built around 1100. It sounds a very intriguing place to explore.

I came back via Bury Hill and stopped half way up in the lay by, for a look back down across the water meadows. Here is a shot showing the village of Bury and its church.