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Looking towards the river, the thatch cottages are now tiled, and you can see the school gate on the right opposite the church railings with Pound Cottage below on the left

The nearest building is owned by the Ship and joins the pub (off picture, right)

Looking Up Church Lane about 1966 from the junction of Church and School lane.

The newly built Westerclose is on the left. We always called it the Upside Down house because we were told the bedrooms were down stairs. I think it were two ladies that had it built - one was called something like Miss Pele (the sort of name that stuck in your head as an eight year old what with the world cup and all that).

The Alms House taken from Church Lane circa 1900 with the local bread delivery. Holberry cottage in school lane can be seen behind.

This building was ultimately demolished, with Westerclose built on the site in 1966.

It seems that in the 13th century, Ropley Church was annexed to the Parish Church of Bishop's Sutton, and the two were thus described as Bishop's Sutton St Nicholas cum Ropley Chapel. This remained so until 1882 when Ropley became a separate Parish.

It seems that the priest/vicar lived mainly in Ropley however there is a suggestion of a parsonage in Sutton already leased out as early as the 17th century.

It is likely to have been situated opposite the church on the site of the present 1 and 2 Church Cottages on the south side of the old School. Prior to the building of numbers 1 and 2, I think around 1890 there was a much larger property set back, approximately the same size as Bishop's Court so a substantial building.

With the separation of the Parishes in 1882 a new vicarage was built about 1893 on the junction with Whitehill and Scrubs lane which was sold in the late 1970’s as a private residence.

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