Merston
{{Short description|Village and parish in West Sussex, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox UK place
| country = England
| static_image = St Giles' church, Merston - geograph.org.uk - 1543854.jpg
| static_image_caption = St Giles’ Church
| coordinates = {{coord|50.8180|-0.7308|display=inline,title}}
| official_name = Merston
| population =
| civil_parish = Oving
| shire_district = Chichester
| shire_county = West Sussex
| region = South East England
| constituency_westminster = Chichester
| post_town = Chichester
| postcode_district = PO20
| postcode_area = PO
| dial_code =
| os_grid_reference = SU895028
}}
Merston is a small village, an Anglican parish{{cite web|title=GENUKI: Merston, Sussex|url=https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/SSX/Merston|accessdate=16 June 2019}} and former civil parish, now in the civil parish of Oving, in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England. It lies just south of the A259 road {{Convert|2.4|miles|km}} southeast of Chichester.Ordnance Survey
History
Merston was listed in the Domesday Book (1086) in the ancient hundred of Boxgrove as having 16 households, meadows, plough land, and three mills. The tenant in chief was Earl Roger of Shrewsbury.{{cite web|title=Open Domesday: Merston|url=https://opendomesday.org/place/SU8903/merston/|accessdate=16 June 2019}}
In 1861, Merston Anglican parish's population was 79, and the parish was {{convert|710|acre}}.
In 1931 the parish had a population of 85.{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10303928/cube/TOT_POP|title=Population statistics Merston AP/CP through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=10 May 2023}} On 1 April 1933 the civil parish was abolished and merged with Oving.{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10303928|title=Relationships and changes Merston AP/CP through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=10 May 2023}}
Parish church
The 13th-century St Giles church is a Grade I listed building.{{NHLE|num=1276899 |desc=St Giles Church |grade=I |access-date=6 February 2024 }} The font is 12th-century. The parish is now in the parish of North Mundham with Merston in the Diocese of Chichester, and St Giles is closed for services.{{cite web|title=Church of England Heritage Record: Merston St Giles|url=https://facultyonline.churchofengland.org/church-heritage-record-merston-st-giles-610067|access-date=6 February 2024}} The church's original registers are held by West Sussex Record Office in Chichester.{{cite web|title=GENUKI: The Parish Church of St Giles|url=https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/SSX/Merston/TheParishChurchofStGiles|access-date=6 February 2024}} The church is open to visitors.{{cite web|title=Oving parish council: St Giles Church|url=https://www.ovingcommunity.org.uk/st-giles-church-merston|access-date=2024-03-10}}
RAF Merston
Nearby was RAF Merston, a World War II airfield.{{cite web|url=http://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/merston/ |title=Merston |publisher=Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust|accessdate=16 June 2019}} The airfield was in use from 1939 to 1945.{{Cite book|last=Lee|first=David|url=https://archive.org/details/actionstationsre0003leed|title=Action Stations Revisited: The Complete History of Britain's Military Airfields|publisher=Crécy|year=2005|isbn=9780859791106|volume=3: South East England|location=Manchester, England|pages=224–225}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category-inline|Merston}}
{{Chichester}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Villages in West Sussex