Warnham
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| The tiny village of Warnham, two miles
from Shelley's birthplace at Field Place, is
the site of Warnham Parish Church, where
Shelley was christened and where he later
rode every day for lessons with Reverend
Edwards, the church vicar. The exterior of
the church, with its medieval tower, remains
much as Shelley would have seen it. |
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| The inside, however, has undergone the
extensive late-Victorian renewal typical of
English churches, including the replacement
of all original stained glass. |
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| There are a number of memorials to the
Shelley family, including Percy
Shelley’s birth and christening
records, and the font in which he was
baptized on September 7, 1792. The church is
frequently locked, but the key is available
from the Post Office next door, which also
has a leaflet describing Shelley’s
connections to Warnham. |
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| Nearby is Warnham Mill Pond, a man-made
lake created to accommodate the Sussex iron
industry in the early-seventeenth century. In
Shelley’s time, it was the home of the
fabled Great Turtle, who would allegedly
emerge in the evenings and roam the
surrounding woods. |
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| Today, the pond is protected by the
Warnham Nature Reserve—and a flock of
very territorial swans—and features a
"Shelley Garden" of plants mentioned in his
poetry. The reserve is open to visitors from
dawn to dusk year-round; however, the Nature
Reserve building is open only from April to
September, 10 AM to 6 PM, Thursdays through
Sundays. |
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