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8o BYGONE SUSSEX. |
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This is not the view of the archaeologists, who hold that the church was once much larger. The reduction of its size is said to have been made in the time of Cromwell.
"And is this really the smallest church in England ?"
" Yes, sir, this is now the very smallest, I believe. There was one in the Isle of Wight that was as little, or less, but it has been made bigger; and so Lullington is now the least church in England."
" You have a large churchyard, but there appear to be very few tombs. Are there ever any burials ?"
" There has been one burial in my time, sir, but it was a man from another parish."
" And how long have you been in Lullington?"
" Seventeen years, sir."
Clearly it is not Death that is depopulating Lullington.
After some further talk we bid good-bye to the sacristan of Lullington, and, taking a field track to the right, we make our way over two bridges that cross the river Cuckmere, and are at once in another old-world village—Alfriston. Here, in 178?, died Mr, Charles Pendrel, a surgeon, who |
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