North Marden

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North Marden

North Marden is a very small village in West Sussex, England. It used to be its own civil parish, but now it is part of the parish of Marden in the Chichester district. The village is about 7.5 miles (12 km) northwest of Chichester, on the edge of the South Downs along the B2141 road.

Population: In 1931 the parish had 12 residents. On 1 April 1933 the parish was merged to form Marden. In the late 19th century the population was between 20 and 30, making it one of Sussex’s smallest parishes.

History: The parish is mentioned in old records from 1291 (Taxatio) and 1341 (Novae return).

Church: The Church of St Mary has a simple plan with a chancel ending in an apse. The Norman south doorway, made of Caen stone, dates to the middle of the 12th century. The three Norman windows in the apse have been restored, but the jambs and rere-arches are original, as is a small Norman window at the west end. The Norman sandstone font has an octagonal stem base added in the 14th century. Some of the flint walls were repaired with 18th-century brickwork. The single bell dates from 1829. There is a bench outside the western wall of the church.