The little church of Burton stands next to Burton Park, 3 miles south of Petworth, but has no village. The main house and its outbuildings are now in mixed private ownership, but is easily visited on a walk from nearby Burton Ponds nature trail.
The tiny church is described in the Sussex edition of Pevsner's County Guides as, "a loveable, unrestored building, one of the mellowest in Sussex". It's hard to better that - the interior is a jumble of monuments and paintings of different dates, forming an harmonious whole.
Both nave and chancel are Norman, but the windows were replaced in 1636 in a repair ordered by Archbishop William Juxon. It has a dumpy west turret and herringbone masonry. The interior has benches using linenfold panels and a splendid and rare Royal coat of arms to Charles I, painted directly onto the wall. There are three splendid monuments: in the chancel, a 15th century recess containing a small recumbent female figure; a further recess in the south wall contains a brass to John Goring (d. 1521); opposite, a larger, canopied tomb commemorates Sir William Goring (d. 1553) and his wife (d. 1558). This has a patchwork of small brasses, including that of Lady Goring, though her husband's is missing. The tomb itself is a typical Tudor mix of Gothic and Renaissance styles.
The 15th century screen has a tympanum above with the commandments - again painted on the plaster. In the window splay of the north wall nave window is an unusual wall painting of a female martyr, being crucified feet upwards, her long hair flowing down.
The church has a monthly sung evensong on the second Sunday of the month, and is open daily for visits and private prayer.
St Richard, Burton Park, Duncton, Petworth GU28 0QU
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