|
Sandwiched between the A285 and A286 south of the A272, Graffham is a Saxon village nestling under the north slopes of the South Downs. Tracing its history from the Bronze Age (barrows on Graffham Down) via the Roman occupation, it was the Saxons whose farming first gave the village the identity that the Normans found in the Domesday Book of 1085. St Giles church traces its Norman arches to the 12th century; the registers date from 1655 and the church was rebuilt in 1874 as a memorial to Bishop Wilberforce. A number of the older houses in Graffham that exist are of Tudor times with wooden frames and wattle and daub infilling. Famous churchmen connected with the village include Bishop Samuel Wilberforce (1806-1873, son of William) and his curate Henry Manning (1809-1892) who later became Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster. Today Graffham has a thriving junior school, St Giles church, a shop and two pubs along with sporting activities including soccer, cricket, tennis, bowls and stoolball.
|