St Peter, Cowfold

St Mary the Virgin, Horsham

St Mary, Petworth

St Mary's lies to the north of the little town's historic centre, against the imposing walls of Petworth House. Its imposing but rather modern-looking tower is rather unexpected, though, and betrays the church's complex building history.

For starters, the plan is unusual: a cruciform church to which has been added a much wider south aisle than north, and a large chapel north of the chancel. This reflects a building sequence where the mediaeval church - from which the chancel (13th century), St Thomas's Chapel (12th century) and north arcade (14th century) survive - was heavily restored by Sir Charles Barry in 1827. He also raised the short mediaeval tower in brick, and then stuccoed it with a small spire. A further restoration by Kempe & Tower in 1903 added the south arcade and various fittings - the organ case, rood screen and reredos. The tower's spire and stucco was removed in 1947, giving the church its current appearance.

All this yields a rather strange interior: the south aisle and north transept are largely empty, and the former baptistry in the south transept (under the tower) is roped off and used for storage. But the nave has a pretty painted ceiling, and both nave and north chapel are filled with monuments and there is Kempe's stained glass.

The furnishings of interest are the monuments, and pride of place goes to the rather naive 16th century tomb recess in the north chapel, to Sir John Dawtrey (d. 1542) ands his wife. This mixes Gothic and Renaissance elements, and the figures, posed facing each other, have been prettily painted. A couple of monuments are by the celebrated John Flaxman (1755-1826) and, in the north aisle, sits a life-size, seated monument to George O'Brien Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont (d. 1837) by Edward Hodges Baily. Though lifelike, his countenance is grim and severe - so it is surprising to learn that he was both a patron of Turner and Constable, and sired no fewer than forty illegitimate children.

St Mary's has a traditional pattern of Eucharistic services, and a range of events including afternoon tea & cake and coffee mornings, and a mother's and toddler's group. The church is also supported by its own Friend's group.

St Mary's, Church Street, Petworth GU28 0AD

St Richard, Burton Park

The little church of Burton stands next to Burton Park, 3 miles south of Petworth, but has no village. The main house and its outbuildings are now in mixed private ownership, but is easily visited on a walk from nearby Burton Ponds nature trail.

The tiny church is described in the Sussex edition of Pevsner's County Guides as, "a loveable, unrestored building, one of the mellowest in Sussex". It's hard to better that - the interior is a jumble of monuments and paintings of different dates, forming an harmonious whole.

Both nave and chancel are Norman, but the windows were replaced in 1636 in a repair ordered by Archbishop William Juxon. It has a dumpy west turret and herringbone masonry. The interior has benches using linenfold panels and a splendid and rare Royal coat of arms to Charles I, painted directly onto the wall. There are three splendid monuments: in the chancel, a 15th century recess containing a small recumbent female figure; a further recess in the south wall contains a brass to John Goring (d. 1521); opposite, a larger, canopied tomb commemorates Sir William Goring (d. 1553) and his wife (d. 1558). This has a patchwork of small brasses, including that of Lady Goring, though her husband's is missing. The tomb itself is a typical Tudor mix of Gothic and Renaissance styles.

The 15th century screen has a tympanum above with the commandments - again painted on the plaster. In the window splay of the north wall nave window is an unusual wall painting of a female martyr, being crucified feet upwards, her long hair flowing down.

The church has a monthly sung evensong on the second Sunday of the month, and is open daily for visits and private prayer.

St Richard, Burton Park, Duncton, Petworth GU28 0QU 

St John the Baptist, Crawley

Christ Church, Worthing

St Swithun, East Grinstead

St Margaret of Antioch, West Hoathly

Holy Trinity, Rudgwick

St Peter, Slinfold

St Mary, Bepton

St Andrew, Didling

Situated high up on the northern slopes of the South Downs, Didling is well-known as the "Shepherd's Church". It lies at the end of a lane, quite isolated, surrounded by fields and trees.

The building is a simple 13th cell, with the nave and chancel without aisles or a chancel arch. The joy lies not just in its location, but in its unrestored feel, with rustic mediaeval pews and Jacobean altar rail, and a simple 12th century tub font. The church has no electricity and is candle-lit in winter, with candle-holders on the pew ends and simple candle holders hanging from the ceiling - chandelier isn't really the right word here.

The churchyard has a great yew, axe recalling an attempt to fell it in the 19th century. It was saved by the intervention of a passing parishioner.

St Andrew, Bugshill Lane, Didling, West Sussex, GU29 0LG

St Paul, Elsted

St Mary, North Marden

St Michael, Up Marden

St Peter, East Marden

St Nicolas, Itchingfield

St Mary Magdalene, Rusper

St Andrew, West Tarring

West Tarring is surrounded on all sides by the suburban sprawl of modern Worthing, but it much the older and, originally, more important settlement.

The village still retains its attractive original High Street, on which are several old pubs and a lovely 15th century half-timbered house, with a distinctive overhang (now the Parsonage Restaurant, and a grade II* listed building). It also contains the remains of an old palace belonging to the Archbishops of Canterbury (see separate review), now the Parish Hall. The origins of the town date back at least to 941AD, when King Athelstan gave the Manor of Terringes to the Church of Christ at Canterbury.

Domesday mentions two churches, although nothing of these buildings survives. Today, the skyline is dominated by the fine tower and spire of St Andrews, one of only a handful of Grade 1 Listed buildings in Worthing. Reflecting its status as a peculiar of Canterbury, it is a huge church for such a small village. Saint Richard, Bishop of Chichester, took refuge here in 1245-1247, when he was temporarily banished from his See by Henry III.

Although heavily restored by the Victorians, the five-bay Nave and aisles are essentially Early English Gothic from the 13th century, with lancet windows in both aisles and the clerestory. In the south aisle is a fine trefoil-headed piscina, preserved in fine condition by being plastered over in the Reformation rather than destroyed. In the 15th century, the present tower and chancel were built, both with fine Perpendicular windows. The spire  covered in wooden shingles - was added in the 16th century.

But the church's real glory lies in its woodwork: a fine 15th century chancel screen, complete with an impressive (and rather intimidating) row of spikes along the top, and a set of six misericords, with fine carvings underneath, including two bearded heads with flowing locks, and floral compositions. The Victorians continued the panelling around the chancel wall, but the very fine carved Communion Rail - described by Nairn and Pevsner in 'The Buildings of England' as 'perky'  is Jacobean.

Unfortunately, the original font was taken to New Zealand by the principal landowners in the 19th century, and the present one is a copy. However, the interior of nave is decorated by a complex mosaic decorative scheme of 1885, designed by the church architect William Butterfield. On my visit, I was made very welcome by the Rector and Churchwarden, very proud of their historic church.

Outside, the attractive churchyard is full of 18th and 19th century tombs, many of high quality. The oldest and most poignant is a table tomb to one John Parson, dated 1633. A listed monument in its own right, it carries a short but painfully evocative verse:

Young was his age
Virginity his state
Learning his love
Consumption his fate

It's a perfect antidote to some of the more sentimental Victorian epitaphs.

Church Road, West Tarring, Worthing BN13 1HF

St Peter & St Mary, New Fishbourne

Fishbourne is best known for the remains of the impressive Roman palace which once stood in the village. But it is has a pretty little church with mediaeval origins, if rather heavily rebuilt in the 19^th century.

History

The church was built between 1243 and 1254, but may initially have consisted only of the present chancel. The nave and bell-cote were added in the 14^th century. Little changed until 1821 when a north transept was erected, with a stuccoed porch. In 1847 a south aisle was added, and the transept and nave were enlarged westwards to form the church we see today.

The church

The setting is a little surprising: although uncomfortably close to the A27, it is well screened by trees and can be approached from the village by a short, public footpath through woods and fields, which provides an altogether more sylvan setting.

The exterior walls are a mixture of ragstone and flint, all very neat and testifying to the Victorian rebuild. Inside, apart from a small section of the arcade wall at the west end, the nave and aisles are now basically of 19^th century date. The aisles of three bays on either side are each as wide as the nave, and give it a bright and spacious feel.

The fabric of the chancel is 13^th century, with one original lancet to the south east. (All the rest were renewed.) This space is altogether more intimate, and contains some ancient looking pews – possibly Jacobean? - used as choir stalls. In one of the lancets is a fragment of old glass – possibly 16^th or early 17^th century.

Other items of interest include two memorials at the west end, one in Latin to Anthony Wells (d. 1594) and  one to an unknown member of the Lane family, dated 1612 and carrying the crest of the family. Outside on the north east corner of the chancel are pilgrim crosses, possibly made by Continental visitors going to the shrine of St Richard of Chichester, from 1262 onwards.

The church has a lively and active congregation, currently raising funds to build a new parish hall.

 Fishbourne Road West, Fishbourne, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 3JW