Statue of St Cuthman
| Browse information by: Location Makers General Information Classification Object Parts Object Condition History References Photographs |  Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright for Photograph: Creative Commons |
Location
| Street: | Vicarage Lane |
| Town: | Steyning |
| Parish: | Steyning |
| Council: | Horsham District Council |
| County: | West Sussex |
| Postcode: | BN44 |
| Location on Google Map | |
| Object setting: | Road or Wayside |
| Access is: | Public |
| Location note: | Opposite the Church of St. Andrew |
| Page: | 130 |
| Grid reference: | A3 |
| The A-Z books used are A-Z East Sussex and A-Z West Sussex (Editions 1A 2005). Geographers' A-Z Map Company Ltd. Sevenoaks. | |
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Makers
| Name : | Penelope Reeve |
| Role: | Sculptor |
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General Information
| Commissioned by: | Millennium Celebration Group Steyning 2000 |
| Construction period: | 2000 |
| Installation date: | 2000 |
| Unveiling date: | 2000 |
| Work is: | Extant |
| Owner custodian: | Steyning Parish Council |
| Object listing: | Not listed |
| Description: | Statue of St. Cuthman, the builder depicted sitting on a stone block gazing to the right in the direction of St. Andrew’s Church. His right foot rests on a depiction of the ‘Steyning Stone’ (the original was discovered in 1938 and is in the porch of the church. It may have been the centrepiece of pagan worship on the site where the church now stands.).Behind the right leg of the statue is depicted a bag of builder’s tools. |
| Iconographical description: | Saint Cuthman of Steyning (d. 8th Century) was an Anglo-Saxon shepherd who became the Patron Saint of Steyning. His legend says that he built a wheelbarrow in which he moved his ailing mother around with him, until eventually his wheelbarrow collapsed as he reached Steyning, whereupon he settled and built his Church. After the Norman Conquest his relics were transferred to the Abbey of Fécamp in Normandy, which had gained possession of Steyning.King Alfred the Great’s father, Ethelwulf of Wessex (839-856) was buried here in the church of St. Cuthman (now St Andrew's), before being transferred to Winchester. (http://www.chequerinnsteyning.co.uk/) |
| Signatures: | Carved into stone at base, facing south:
PENELOPE REEVE 2000 |
| Inscription: | ST.CUTHMAN BUILDER |
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Classification
| Categories: | Sculptural, Religious, Free Standing |
| Object type1: | Statue |
| Object type2: | Sculpture |
| Subject type1: | Mythological |
| Subject subtype1: | Seated |
| Subject type2: | Figurative |
| Subject subtype1: | Seated |
| Subject type3: | Portrait |
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Object Parts
| Part 1: | Statue |
| Material: | Portland stone |
| Height (cm): | 150 |
| Width (cm): | 180 |
| Depth (cm): | 140 |
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Object Condition
| Overall condition: | Good |
| Risk assessment: | No known risk |
| Condition 1 of type: | Surface |
| Condition 1: | Biological growth |
| More details: | Biological growth to the top of the depicted Steyning Stone due to water collection. |
| Condition 2 of type: | Structural |
| Condition 1: | Replaced parts |
| More details: | The nose of the figure has been broken off by vandals in the past and the replacement is evident. |
| Condition 3 of type: | Vandalism |
| More details: | According to local newspapers, the statue has been repeatedly vandalised since its unveiling. |
| Date of on-site inspection: | 11/12/2007 |
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History
| History: | Commissioned by the Millennium Celebration Group Steyning 2000, which raised £9,000 for the project. |
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References
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Photographs
Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |  Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |
 Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |  Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |
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