Ford, West Sussex

infobox UK place
country = England
static_

static_image_caption=St. Andrew by the ford
latitude= 50.82423
longitude= -0.58037
official_name =Ford
population =
shire_district= Arun
shire_county= West Sussex
region= South East England
constituency_westminster= Arundel and South Downs
post_town=
postcode_district =
postcode_area=
dial_code=
os_grid_reference= TQ000036

Ford is a village and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. It is located two miles (3km) to the south-west of Arundel. The civil parish, roughly triangular in shape, covers an area of 414.69ha and has a population of 1358 persons (2001 census).

The parish is also the location of HM Prison Ford, otherwise known as Ford Open Prison, and situated on the site of the former RAF Ford Battle of Britain airfield and Royal Naval Air Station ("HMS Peregrine").

Ford railway station is on the West Coastway Line.

The parish church

The Anglican church of Saint Andrew-by-the-Ford is near the River Arun, surrounded by a walled churchyard entered through a wrought iron gate. The Saxon church was built c.1040, and substantially rebuilt by the Normans with a surviving early twelfth century Norman chancel arch] with carved decoration. [ [http://www.crsbi.ac.uk/ed/sx/ford/index.htm The Corpus of ROMANESQUE SCULPTURE in Britain and Ireland] ] There are Saxon and Norman lancet windows in the north wall of the nave, which survives from the original building. Over a north door in this wall, which leads to a vestry, there are fragments of Anglo-Saxon interlaced carving. The east window is in the Decorated style c.1320 and the west window is in Perpendicular style from c.1420. There is a Dutch style porch of c.1640. The wooden belltower, painted white as a navigational landmark for ships, contains two bells, the smaller of which was made by Robert Rider between 1351 and 1386. The font, carved from a square limestone block, may be Saxon or Norman and is mounted on a modern Bath stone plinth.

"Eco-town" proposal

In 2008 Ford was shortlisted on the government's "Eco Town" plan. The Ford site is identified as the general location for a new settlement in the sub-regional county plan as well as the draft South East Regional Spatial Strategy. In a public consultation to Arun District Council's core strategy issues and options, as part of the new local development framework, Ford is the preferred location for a new settlement from respondents. Arun District Council is currently holding an inquiry into the suitability of the location as part of its response to the Government consultation documents.

References

External links

* [http://homepages.gold.ac.uk/genuki/SSX/Ford/index.php Ford]