St Cosmas and St Damian Church, Keymer

St Cosmas and St Damian Church is an Anglican church in the village of Keymer, in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England. Rebuilt in 1866 in a style similar to the Saxon building it replaced, it is the parish church of Keymer and now lies within a combined parish serving three villages in Mid Sussex. The church bears a very rare dedication to the twin Saints Cosmas and Damian, Christian martyrs of the 4th century. It is a grade II listed building.HistoryThe medieval manor of Keymer was recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086 as being held by William de Watevile for William de Warenne, who built the nearby Lewes Castle. A church existed on the present site at that time; it was associated with Lewes Priory, which had been given it by a successor of de Watevile in 1093.The present building incorporates some 12th-century structural elements: the chancel walls and apse date from that time. Until the rebuilding in 1866, there had been little change to the structure since the 14th century. The reconstruction was undertaken by Brighton-based architect Edmund Scott, who was responsible for several churches in his home town; he matched the church's largely 14th-century style rather than redesigning the building significantly. Six bells were added at various times: one in 1791, another in 1866 and a peal of four in 1911.