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St Nicolas Church, Portslade
"The lost ancient mural paintings"


ON SOME ANCIENT MURAL PAINTINGS IN:
PORTSLADE CHURCH
by
The Rev. HENRY HOPER.
(Vicar of St Nicolas Church 1815-1859)

Published in
The Sussex Archaeological Collection
1847


THE Church of Portslade is classed by Rickman, among upwards of seventy others in this county, as being "of the early English style, having little admixture of other styles." The chancel does, in fact, present a very pure and elegant specimen of this style in its two simple lancet windows, at the east end, the effect of which is united by a small circular window of six points being placed above them, and in its three lancet windows in the north and south walls. Beneath a string course of a bold undercut moulding, running immediately below these windows, there is, on the south side, a piscina under a trefoil arch with small side columns, one having a capital of foliage, and three sedilia of unequal heights under trefoil-headed arches, nearly level, the outer corbels of which represent heads of priests. The opening from the chancel into the nave is formed by a fine pointed arch, near which have been discovered some paintings, and an imperfect inscription in old characters: on the south side of the nave is a narrow side aisle, separated from the nave by two short massive circular pillars, two feet six inches in diameter, with Norman capitals under square abaci. Three pointed arches without any mouldings rest on these columns, supported at either end by the chancel and tower walls. It having become necessary to repair the western arch, it was ascertained that these arches consisted of coarse flint-work with merely an edging of stone, and were evidently of much later date than the columns, from the character of which it may be fairly inferred that the original arches were round, and the nave built in Norman times.
The principal fresco, which is the subject of this notice, and is represented in the lithograph from a sketch by Miss Gorring, occupies the wall above these columns, from them up to the plate on which the roof rests. It extends twenty-two feet in length and twelve feet. seven inches from the abaci upwards. Beneath the thin coating of plaster on which this painting has been executed, there appear in some parts the traces. of an earlier painting, a circumstance not unusual, and of which a remarkable instance has been lately noticed at Beckley church, Oxon. (Archaeol. Journ., No.15, 256.) At Portslade this older fresco exhibits only a wall of masonry, and tall, narrow windows, with diamond quarries, the colours used being simply light red and ochre; whereas in the later painting there occur also the varieties of black, deep yellow, white, and dark red. During the repairs of the summer of 1847 the painting became visible, and though much mutilated, and the colours but faint, enough remains to show that the subject is the Day of Judgement.

 

The 1847 illustration by Miss Gorring
The central compartment is occupied by the Saviour Judge, placed within an arched space, diapered with rudely-shaped fleurs de lis. There is a dignified expression in this figure, the head of which is in-closed by a nimbus, coextensive with which appears an equal limbed cross, on which some of. the spines of the crown of thorns appear . The open uplifted hands present the stigmata, with blood flowing from them. The lower part of the figure seems to have been concealed by a semicircular arch, perhaps the orb or the rainbow.
On his right hand are seen angels summoning the dead with trumpets and other instruments, and m the upper part are various Saints engaged in mediation, with the Virgin, having a supplicatory expression, crowned with a jewelled diadem, nearest the judge. Above her appears St. Joseph clasping a long parti-coloured staff. In the lower part appears the resurrection of the just, represented by several figures, in various attitudes, rising from the grave and looking towards the central figure. On the left hand of the judge there are also several Saints with nimbi, in the upper portion. The palm-bearing Saint in front is seen to present some person for acceptance, possibly some benefactor to the church, while some rejected sinners are seen forced downwards, and at the extreme left there remains the upper half of a large figure of Satan, with two dark upraised wings. In the lower part is the place of torment, among the flames of which are seen. the heads of sinners curiously arranged in two parallel files of six each. Above these are the fragments of another bat-like wing, and two dark oval spaces, perhaps the apertures of some vessel in which the condemned are placed, or they may possibly represent great eyes, which may indicate that they belonged to the usual representation of the jaws of hell, the sinners being inclosed within the mouth of a gigantic devil. This figure, however, is not now traceable further.
On the northern wall, opposite, the first indications or painting had been observed several years ago, and indeed the whole wall was thus ornamented, but the fragments remaining, consisting principally of a quadruped, some waves, and some heads, are too imperfect for description. Here, again, were traces of paintings of two different eras, the earlier one having been broken into by the insertion of a Decorated window.
The wall also of the southern aisle was anciently covered with painting, the remains of which were found much mutilated. One portion represented the Adoration of the Magi, in black and ochre colours.
It should be mentioned that, near the angels sounding the trumpets in the large fresco, there are depicted in dark colour, now nearly black, two cinquefoil heraldic roses, which would lead to the supposition of the House of Lancaster being in the ascendant at the time of their painting. Another guide to the probable date is seen also on the north wall, at the highest eastern corner, a shield of arms (two feet two inches long by one foot nine inches wide)
supported by angels. The shield is divided quarterly, the first and fourth being now at least quite blank, while the second and third bear on a dark field, either sable or gules, a lion rampant argent. These may have been the arms of Fitzalan, * Earls of Arundel, and the Chequy of Warenne or the Fret of Maltravers may have occupied the blank spaces, if ever filled. It may be presumed, from a Decorated window having been intruded upon the painting, and from these other indications, that the walls of Portslade Church were thus ornamented in the course of the fourteenth or more probably in the fifteenth century.
* Beatrix, Countess of Arundel, died in the l8th year of Henry VI, seized of some lands in Portslade. (Cal. Inq. p. m.)
Note:- Unfortunately these ancient mural paintings were lime-washed over in the same year as the above report to The Sussex Archaeological Collection, and are no longer visible today.

 

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