# Bedham (West Sussex), Schoolhouse and Church - Jan 2015



## RazzyRae (Jan 5, 2015)

Visited by accident with a non-member. 

We stumbled upon this during a countryside stroll, exploring the area I've recently moved to. Though there's not really anything of the building left apart from the bare structure, it still looks beautiful and the way it just appeared in the woodland in front of us was magical 

Here's some info borrowed from Wikipedia:

"The small schoolhouse was built by local landowners and the Church of England to provide elementary education for children from the hamlet and surrounding area. Built in the style of a chapel it doubled up as the church on Sundays. The single room was divided by a curtain for infants and senior classes. At the end of the school week the chairs were turned to face the east and ink pots removed from the desks. In the 1930s services would be held there once or twice a month by the Rector of Fittleworth, with one of the local ladies playing the harmonium."

And some borrowed from Derelict Miscellany:

"Despite the two annual maintenance visits from Mitford's own carpenters, by 1913 the school was found to be in 'a very unsatisfactory state' with 'defective lighting and ventilation' and the girls' earth closet 'very offensive indeed.' Due to a falling rural population, the school closed in 1925, but the building continued in regular use as a church for a further thirty years. The congregation was never a large one and with the demise of the charcoal industry and the effects of two world wars attendance declined to almost nothing: the last wedding held here was in 1959 and there is no record of any later services."





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## Chopper (Jan 5, 2015)

Lovely place isn't it. My house _when_ I win the lottery


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## RazzyRae (Jan 5, 2015)

Well I will be very jealous! Good luck


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## Snips86x (Jan 5, 2015)

Chopper said:


> Lovely place isn't it. My house _when_ I win the lottery



Would love to see this like when it was first built 

Great shots OP, thanks for sharing!


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## UrbanX (Jan 6, 2015)

Thats properly lovely! Ace photos 
Cheers for sharing!


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## flyboys90 (Jan 6, 2015)

Really nice building or what's left of it!Great images and thanks for showing.


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