Country: | England |
Static Image: | St Giles' church, Merston - geograph.org.uk - 1543854.jpg |
Static Image Caption: | St Giles Church |
Coordinates: | 50.818°N -0.7308°W |
Official Name: | Merston |
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 |
Os Grid Reference: | SU895028 |
Merston is a small village, an Anglican parish[1] 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 2.4miles southeast of Chichester.[2]
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.[3]
In 1861, Merston Anglican parish's population was 79, and the parish was .
In 1931 the parish had a population of 85.[4] On 1 April 1933 the civil parish was abolished and merged with Oving.[5]
The 13th century St Giles church is a Grade I listed building, and in 1861 was described as "very ancient". 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,[6] The church's original registers are held by West Sussex Record Office in Chichester.[7] but open to visitors.[8]
Nearby was RAF Merston, a World War II airfield.[9] The airfield was in use from 1939 to 1945.[10]