botolphs interior frescoes 11th century church hardham sussex

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St Botolphs, Interior Frescoes. 11th century Church, Hardham. Sussex, Uk

St Botolphs Church in Hardham, Sussex, UK contains the earliest nearly complete series of wall paintings in England. Dating from the 12th century, they were hidden from view until uncovered in 1866 and now `provide a rare and memorable impression of a medieval painted interior. The wall paintings were created in three stages. First, a thick base layer of plaster was applied to the walls, then a thinner layer of plaster was applied over this in patches, according to the layout of the scenes and borders; then each patch was then painted while the plaster was still wet. The simple two-cell stone building, with its original medieval whitewashed exterior, has seen little alteration over the centuries except for the tower housing an ancient bell. St Botolph`s Church was listed at Grade I on 15 March 1955. Such buildings are defined as being of `exceptional interest`, and in some cases of greater than national importance.