Churches
St Peter’s Sesley and St Wilfrid’s Chapel Church Norton
In 681 at Church Norton, a Christian Missionary arrived to convert the pagan Saxons to Christianity. Quite a few Saxons in other parts of England had already become Christians, but most people in Sussex were still pagans at this time. This priest was St Wilfrid, a northerner from Northumberland and a senior member of the Roman Church, who had been exiled from the north after quarrelling with the Northumbrian King.
Wilfrid founded a monastery in Selsey, which is considered to be the same site where St Wilfrid’s Chapel in Church Norton now stands. He became the first bishop of Selsey and also went on to build a Cathedral in Selsey. You can see a list of the Bishops of Selsey in St Peters, parish church of Selsey, and also in Chichester Cathedral. Legends say that the Cathedral at Selsey was built on land that is now under the sea. St Wilfrid gives his name to many organisations in the area, including our Hospice.
Simon Carey, CC BY-SA 2.0
Ealdgyth 2010, CC BY-SA 3.0
Simon Carey, CC BY-SA 2.0
St Peters Church, originally built in Norton, was relocated to be closer to the Selsey population 2 miles further south. Starting in November 1864, the process of moving the church stone-by-stone took 18 months to complete and the new site was consecrated on April 12, 1866. The re-built church is known for its 12th-century architectural features and is Grade II listed.
St Mary Our Lady Sidlesham
The village of Sidlesham, on the edge of Pagham Harbour, is a peaceful place today, but in the 11th and 12th centuries the area was bustling with activity to-and-from a flour mill, located on the Harbour’s shore. Grain crops were brought in from far and wide to be milled here and this rich source of income made the village well-off compared with other communities.
The people put some of their wealth into building the Church of St Mary Our Lady. The building took 20 years to complete and was finished in 1120. It sits in a beautiful church yard, which attracts lots of wildlife.
The Church is open every day and has had an interesting history, which has been captured in this short film on YouTube, including a number of renovations over the centuries. Sidlesham Quay, where ships of grain used to arrive for the mill, remains on Pagham Harbour, however the mill has since been demolished.
St Anne's East Wittering and Earnley Church
The simply named Earnley Church is a Grade II* listed building dating back to the 13th century and is the sister church of St Anne's, built in East Wittering in the mid-20th century.
Thanks to the community's efforts, Earnley Church has undergone multiple restorations after surviving significant damage during WWII and later facing severe roof deterioration due to a beetle infestation. In the late 1990s, the church became the first building of its kind to be awarded 'Best Small Scale Restoration' by West Sussex County Council.
Hassocks5489, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Hassocks5489, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
The military significance of the site is marked by the grave of Major William Barnsley Allen, who served on the front as a doctor in WW1. Visitors are also drawn to the church's modern artistic features, including the Jonah window and the Peace window.
St Peter and St Paul West Wittering
Hassocks5489, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Hassocks5489, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in West Wittering features architecture spanning several centuries. The nave dates back to the 11th century, with additions in the late 12th and early 13th centuries, including a south aisle and chapel.
The origins of the church's well known stone cross, displayed in a glass case in the Lady Chapel, remain uncertain. It was discovered in 1875 during repairs to the church's Norman walls and was later proposed to be a gable cross for an earlier church with its design dating back to the early days of Christianity in Sussex.
Throughout the 19th century, significant restoration work was carried out on much of the church's exterior and interior. The church's interesting evolution has been extensively documented.
St James Church Birdham
The Grade I listed church is a predominantly 14th century construction, with a mid-16th century addition of the tower. However, St James' broad, low aisles and rounded doorways indicate that its original structure dates back to the 12th century.
Various sympathetic restoration works to the church took place in the 19th century, including the rebuilding of the chancel in 1863 with 14th century style windows.
Above the altar is a window which incorporates visual elements of Birdham village into the story of the miraculous catch of fish (John 21:1–14).
Bob Parkesm, St. James Church - Birdham
Bob Parkesm, St. James Church - Birdham
In 2019, St James' Community Centre was completed. The centre connects to the north-side of the church.
St Nicholas Church Itchenor
Graeme.duckworth, CC BY-SA 4.0
Graeme.duckworth, CC BY-SA 4.0
St Nicholas Church (Grade I listed), built in the 13th century, and a chapel of the same name also built in Itchenor in 1175, were dedicated to this patron saint of seafarers due to the seasonal coastal flooding experienced by the harbour-side parish.
The church has a 13th-century octagonal font, an open nave and chancel, and five stained glass windows, including one brightly coloured abstract design created post-World War II.
The building was extensively restored in 1869 by G. M. Hills, who also worked on Birdham's St James Church.
St Mary the Virgin Apuldram
Jonathan Thacker, CC BY-SA 2.0
Jonathan Thacker, CC BY-SA 2.0
St Georges Donnington
David Dixon, CC BY-SA 2.0
David Dixon, CC BY-SA 2.0
St George’s chancel and nave date back to the 13th century, while the tower was built in the 16th century. The Grade I listed church has numerus notable features include 13th century piscina, post-WWII stained glass by J. Howson and F. Skeat, and several neoclassical monuments in the north chapel.
After a fire in 1939, the nave was severely damaged and many of the existing fittings were removed, resulting in a simpler 17th century style by its completion in1942. The tower's distinctive interior grotesques and exterior gargoyles were reinstated after restorations were carried out from 1965 to 1966.
St Leodegar's Church Hunston
A church has stood on this site since at least 1105, with evidence of worship taking place here dating back to Saxon times.
St Leodegar's church is among a few in the country dedicated to St. Leodegar. Born around 616, St. Leodegar became the Abbot of Poitiers in 651, was consecrated Bishop of Autun around 660, and was martyred in 678 amid political turmoil.
The present church building replaced a medieval predecessor in 1885 and was designed by Sir A.W. Blomfield in the Early English style of the 13th century.
The Voice of Hassocks, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Voice of Hassocks, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
St Stephen's Church, North Mundham
St. Stephen’s Church, North Mundham by Jeff Gogarty, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
St. Stephen’s Church, North Mundham by Jeff Gogarty, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
St Stephen's (Grade II*) original 13th century aisles and chancel with side chapels were restored in 1883 by Sir Arthur Blomfield. The distinctive the west tower was added in 1550.
According to the Domesday Book (1086), Mundham (including the North and South parishes) had an earlier church.
You can watch a short video tour by the church wardens on YouTube here and learn more about the church's history through the book available through their website.