Incorporated into west side of war memorial base, outside Selsey parish church

Prior (n. d.) records five fragments incorporated into base of First World War memorial, though only four now visible. Nos. 1-2 removed from porch of parish church, nave of which was moved from old church at Church Norton following demolition in 1864 and rebuilt at Selsey.

St Peter

Broken and worn

It is rectangular and incomplete with a narrow relief border of square section along the lower and right-hand edges. The trimming of the remaining edges has involved the loss of part of the decoration. This consists of a circular relief strand encircled by a second strand whose upper ends cross and are then bent back to form interlacing, pointed-ended diagonals. Both bands have a median-incised line, and the diagonals a median line of drilled holes. Between the diagonals below and to the right, V-shaped motifs, open ends outward, link the inner and outer circles. Between the diagonals above and interlacing with their looped ends is a semicircular, median-incised strand forming a swag linked to the central circle by a plain vertical moulding.

The fact that this piece has been squared and reused as building material means that its original function is impossible to ascertain. Its date is equally difficult to establish, but the interlace is based on a closed-circuit pattern with some affinities to the Borre-style ring-chain. On this basis a tenth or eleventh century date is plausible.

Tenth to eleventh century

Heron-Allen 1911, 102 - 3, pl. XXII; Heron-Allen 1935, 37 - 8, pl. on 31; Mee 1937, 331; Aldsworth 1979, 106, fig. 2.3, pl. 2.3; Tweddle 1986b, i, 112, 251 - 2, ii, 456 - 8, iii, pl. 85a; Prior n. d., 19