Offham, West Sussex
The parish church, Saxon in origin, is dedicated to St Leonard. Offham has a large pub.
History
Offham was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as having 18 households, comprising 8 villagers, 5 cottagers and 5 slaves, with plough land, woodland, a fishery and two mills, all valued at 8 pounds 10 shillings. South Stoke itself had 14 households and a church valued at 4 pounds. Human population reverted to medieval levels after 1806 when common land was enclosed to make Arundel Park, depriving unlanded villagers of sheep-grazing land. Some of this was returned to woodland after a few centuries of being used as pasture.
Amenities
Offham has a pub with outdoor seated area, the Black Rabbit.
The Monarch's Way long-distance footpath crosses the western edge of the parish between Houghton and Arundel.
In film, the media and fiction
Offham is the setting for Michael de Larrabeiti's 2003 novel Foxes' Oven, set in 1940.
The parish church
The 11th-century building is recorded in the Domesday Book, when the village was named as "Stoches". Built of flint it has a thin western tower which carries a 19th-century broach spire with four slatted dormer windows. There is one bell dated 1657. The porch is 13th century.