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Oving Parish of St Andrews.

Oving is a small picturesque village situated in flat countryside in the County of West Sussex, three miles from the old Roman town of Chichester and some Five miles from the south coast of England.

Map showing location of village

The parish church built in the thirteenth century and restored in 1840 with further restoration in 1881 when traces of a former twelfth century church were unearthed . This parish encompassed some 2,989 acres expanding to 3,013 acres by 1933. Including Farms that have evolved into the hamlets and villages of Colworth, Drayton, Portfield and Merston. A 1649 record describes the Manor housee of Oving as a fair brick built building, Drayton house and Shopwyke manor are two significant early buildings in the area both within two miles of Oving.

The earliest reference found to date is a charter of King Eadwy dated 956 granting to the bishop of Selsey the Lands of Oving and neighbourhood. No mention of Oving can be found in the Domsday survey this may be due to the probable inclusion of Oving with the manor of Aldingbourne.

The village school was built in 1839 along with four almshouses, the school closed in 1967 never having more than 100 pupils at any one time.

Oving: (may be derived from: Oves, Orinia. a place for sheep,)
Shopwyke: (from the Saxon sceap sheep and wic a village) .

This document is maintained by rosie@mayhead.org.uk