[Illustration: BECKET'S PALACE, TARRING.]

A short walk southwards brings us to West Tarring, which is practically
a suburb of Worthing. Here is a very fine Early English and
Perpendicular church with a lofty spire. Notice the beautiful modern
mosaics depicting the Prophets and Apostles. Also the old miserere
seats and an ancient muniment chest. The window under the tower is in
memory of Robert Southey whose daughter married a onetime vicar of
Tarring. Another incumbent here was Stripe the historian.

A peculiarity noticeable in many country churchyards may be remarked
here--the reluctance to bury on the north side of the church (though
strangely enough this has been reversed at near-by Ferring). In many
churchyards, where the ground is as extensive on the north side as on
the others, the grave digger's spade has left it either quite untouched
or the graves are few in number and mostly of recent date.

West Tarring was once a market town and several good specimens of
medieval and Tudor domestic architecture still exist. It was once a
"peculiar" of the Archbishops of Canterbury, and the remains of the
archiepiscopal palace may be seen in the school house on the east of
the church. In the rectory orchard close by is the "columbarium," or
all that is left of it. Becket is said to have occupied the palace. The
celebrated fig orchard is supposed to have been raised from slips
planted by him, though another story has it that the original planter
was St. Richard. The present orchard is of much interest and dates from
the year of the "forty-five," though it can well be believed that some
of the trees are older; the venerable patriarch in the centre is known
as "St. Thomas," but this is of course impossible. A most remarkable