'Cathedral of the Downs'

It started very misty this morning...we decided to go out for a drive to a National Trust...but five minutes into our drive changed our minds and went to Alfriston ...very close to home.

St Andrew's Church is the parish church of Alfriston, East Sussex. This Grade 1 listed building was built in the 1370's and is also known as the 'Cathedral of the Downs'. It sits on a small flint-walled mound, indicating that it was the site of a pre-Christian place of worship, in the middle of 'the Tye' (local village green), overlooking the River Cuckmere, and is surrounded by the flowered graveyard. It is built in the form of a cross.

Mysteriously, no records or monuments indicate who commissioned the church's construction. A consistent architectural style throughout indicates that it was built all at once. Typically, completing such a building before tastes and building techniques have changed is possible only when an individual or family has sponsored the construction, and that person would be buried in the church's graveyard or entombed within. However, St Andrew's does not have any grand tomb or memorial, nor any records indicating who a patron might be. Also, there was no Lord of the Manor for Alfriston at the time.   ...Next to it is the Alfriston Clergy House owned by the National Trust.....

We started our walk... and intended walking along the River but it was so muddy, it was hard going!  Diverted up onto the Downs for awhile, then back down into Alfriston where we had a lovely lunch at The George Inn.
By lunchtime the mist was lifting and then the sun came out..giving some blue sky.  Home by three to sit by the fire.  There was the most beautiful misty, sunset at 4.30  (the days are getting longer) ..I wished we had stayed out longer....very soft pinks and blues..

When I looked at the pictures I shot today I was really disappointed to see a round mark on the right of each one. I have cleaned the lens and am hoping that's all it was! You win some you lose some with photography!