St Cosmas and St Damian Church, Keymer
| St Cosmas and St Damian Church | |
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St Cosmas and St Damian Church, February 2009.
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| 50°55′19″N 0°7′50″W / 50.92194°N 0.13056°WCoordinates: 50°55′19″N 0°7′50″W / 50.92194°N 0.13056°W | |
| Location | Keymer, West Sussex |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Churchmanship | Liberal Catholic |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | Edmund Scott |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Completed | 1866 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Clayton with Keymer |
| Deanery | Hurst |
| Archdeaconry | Chichester |
| Diocese | Diocese of Chichester |
| Province | Province of Canterbury |
| Clergy | |
| Minister(s) | Rev. Christopher Powell |
St Cosmas and St Damian Church is an Anglican church in the village of Keymer, in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England. Rebuilt in 1866 in a style similar to the Saxon building it replaced, it is the parish church of Keymer and now lies within a combined parish serving three villages in Mid Sussex. The church bears a very rare dedication to the twin Saints Cosmas and Damian, Christian martyrs of the 4th century. It is a grade II listed building.
The medieval manor of Keymer was recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086 as being held by William de Watevile for William de Warenne, who built the nearby Lewes Castle. A church existed on the present site at that time; it was associated with Lewes Priory, which had been given it by a successor of de Watevile in 1093.
The present building incorporates some 12th-century structural elements: the chancel walls and apse date from that time. Until the rebuilding in 1866, there had been little change to the structure since the 14th century. The reconstruction was undertaken by Brighton-based architect Edmund Scott, who was responsible for several churches in his home town; he matched the church's largely 14th-century style rather than redesigning the building significantly. Six bells were added at various times: one in 1791, another in 1866 and a peal of four in 1911.
The church has a large graveyard with several war graves and a war memorial. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission identifies five soldiers—three from the First World War and two from the Second World War—who are buried there. There is no longer enough space for burials to take place in the original churchyard, so a new burial ground has been established in a field opposite the church. Mid Sussex District Council acquired the land on behalf of the Parish of Keymer and Clayton, and transferred ownership to Hassocks Parish Council. The latter now manages the area, which is called the Hassocks Burial Ground and Garden of Remembrance.
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