List of current places of worship in Chichester District facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

There are over 130 places to worship in the Chichester area of West Sussex, England. You can find churches for many different Christian denominations. There's also a big Buddhist monastery in Chithurst, a small village in this mostly countryside region.

Chichester Cathedral has been the main church for the Bishop of Chichester since the 11th century.

The ancient city of Chichester was founded by the Romans. It has always been the biggest town in the area. Christian worship has been important here since 1075, when its cathedral was built. However, nearby Selsey had its own cathedral much earlier. Saint Wilfrid set up a church there about 400 years before Chichester's. He used it to help convert Sussex to Christianity.

Because of coastal erosion, the main church moved inland to Chichester. It has been the center of the Anglican Diocese of Chichester ever since. Most people in the district identify as Christian. Many villages, even tiny ones, have churches. For example, Coates has a church described as "enchanting." Didling's church still uses oil lamps for light.

Churches still used for worship can also be found on private country estates. Examples include Burton Park and Stansted Park. Most churches belong to the Church of England, which is the country's official church. But many other Christian groups are also present.

Roman Catholicism has a strong history in West Sussex. It has several churches for its followers. Evangelical and Free Churches are in the main towns and small villages. Methodists, Baptists, and members of the United Reformed Church each have several churches. Smaller groups like the Assemblies of God, Christian Scientists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Quakers, and Latter-day Saints (Mormons) have places of worship in Chichester city.

Members of the Church of Christ, Scientist worship at this simple building in Chichester.

English Heritage has given "listed status" to 84 church buildings in the district. A listed building is on a special register. This means it has "special architectural or historic interest." This is done under a law from 1990. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is in charge of this. English Heritage helps manage the process and gives advice.

There are three levels of listed status:

Grade I: The highest level, for buildings of "exceptional interest."
Grade II*: For "particularly important buildings."
Grade II: For buildings of "special interest."

As of February 2021, the district had 80 Grade I buildings, 114 Grade II* buildings, and 3,057 Grade II buildings.

Chichester District: A Look at Its Worship Places
Religious Groups in Chichester District
How Churches are Organized
Images for kids

Chichester District: A Look at Its Worship Places

The Chichester district is on the west side of West Sussex.

The Chichester district covers about 777 square kilometers. It makes up most of the western part of West Sussex. It has a coastline on the English Channel. It shares borders with Hampshire and Surrey counties. It also borders other districts in West Sussex. In 2009, about 112,600 people lived here. Chichester city is the largest population center, with 23,731 residents in 2001. The rest of the area has small towns and villages.

Many old churches serve followers of the Church of England. This is the country's official religion. The church at Bosham dates back to the 8th century. Many churches in the Manhood Peninsula area around Selsey are important. This is because St Wilfrid used Selsey to spread Christianity in Sussex.

Some churches were built very large, like the former priory churches at Boxgrove and Easebourne. These are now smaller. However, many tiny, simple churches are found in remote villages in the South Downs. They have changed little since the 11th or 12th centuries. Many have simple layouts, with one or two main rooms. Examples include Didling and East Marden.

Old churches were rarely torn down in this part of Sussex. But it did happen at Duncton and Hunston. It was more common for buildings to be restored and rebuilt during the Victorian era. Sometimes these changes were very big. Villages like Bignor and Fernhurst had their churches transformed in the mid to late 1800s.

Villages like Tangmere have very old parish churches.

More churches were built in the 19th century in the growing city of Chichester. New churches were also built in large parishes with many small communities. For example, residents of Plaistow and Loxwood got their own churches in 1851 and 1900. Before that, they had to travel to other villages to worship.

Mission halls and smaller chapels continued to be built in the 20th century. This helped meet the needs of a growing population. Brick church halls were built near railway stations. A similar building was put up in the Summersdale area of Chichester in the 1930s. Woodmancote has a special prefabricated church. It is a tin tabernacle, which is now rare in England.

This unusual tin tabernacle serves people living in Woodmancote.

Historically, Roman Catholicism was stronger in West Sussex than in East Sussex. Wealthy families supported it. For example, the Biddulph family of Duncton had a Mass Centre in their home. Chichester had a Catholic church by 1855, and Midhurst by 1869. Both have been replaced by large, modern buildings built after World War II.

In contrast, Protestant Nonconformist groups have fewer followers here. Many Methodist, Baptist, and other chapels have closed. In Chichester city, Methodists and United Reformed Church members joined forces. They opened a shared church in 1982. Baptist worship in the city has continued for over 300 years. It is now held in a modern building in the suburbs.

The United Reformed and Methodist churches share the modern Christ Church in Chichester city center.

Old chapels are often reused by new groups. Former Congregational chapels at East Dean and Kirdford are now used by Evangelical groups. The 18th-century Zoar Strict Baptist Chapel at Wisborough Green is another example. The former chapel of Graylingwell Hospital in Chichester was empty until 2010. Then, a new Anglican church moved in. At Chithurst, an old house was turned into the Cittaviveka Buddhist Monastery.

Religious Groups in Chichester District

The 2021 UK census collected information about people's religious beliefs. In Chichester district, 53.12% of people said they were Christian. Other religions had smaller numbers:

0.55% were Muslim
0.49% were Buddhist
0.25% were Hindu
0.18% were Jewish
0.03% were Sikh
0.54% followed another religion

A large group, 38.67%, said they had no religious affiliation. And 6.16% did not state their religion. Compared to England as a whole, Chichester district had more Christians and Buddhists. It also had more people who said they had no religion. Other religions like Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Sikhism had fewer followers in the district than across England.

How Churches are Organized

Anglican Churches

All Anglican churches in the district belong to the Diocese of Chichester. Its cathedral is in Chichester city. The diocese is divided into three larger areas called Archdeaconries. Churches in Chichester district are in either the Chichester Archdeaconry or the Horsham Archdeaconry.

The Chichester Archdeaconry has five smaller areas called rural deaneries. For example, churches in Apuldram, Birdham, Boxgrove, and Selsey are in the Chichester Deanery. The four Anglican churches in Chichester city are also in this deanery. The Cathedral itself is a special area.

The Horsham Archdeaconry has eight rural deaneries. Churches in places like Midhurst, Fernhurst, and Petworth are part of these deaneries.

Roman Catholic Churches

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton manages the Roman Catholic churches in Chichester District. Its cathedral is in Arundel. All seven Catholic churches in the district are in the Cathedral Deanery. These churches are in Bosham, Chichester, Duncton, East Wittering, Midhurst, Petworth, and Selsey. Priests from Chichester serve the churches in Selsey, Bosham, and East Wittering. The church in Duncton is served from Petworth.

Other Christian Groups

The Southern Synod oversees the three United Reformed Churches in Chichester district. These are in Chichester, East Wittering, and Petworth. Since 2007, they have also partnered with the Methodist Church. This partnership is called the South West Sussex United Area. It includes ten churches: four United Reformed, five Methodist, and Christ Church in Chichester, which serves both groups.

Chichester Baptist Church is part of the West Sussex Network of the South Eastern Baptist Association. Westbourne Baptist Church is part of the Southern Counties Baptist Association.

Several Evangelical churches in the district are part of Affinity. This is a network of conservative Evangelical churches in Great Britain. These include the Tustin Memorial Chapel at Kirdford and East Dean Free Church. 3 Counties Vineyard at Hammer is part of the Vineyard Churches UK and Ireland group.

Harting Congregational Church is part of the Congregational Federation. This group formed in 1972 when some Congregational churches chose to remain independent.

Images for kids

St Mary's Church, Apuldram
St Mary's Church, Barlavington
St Mary's Church, Bepton
Holy Cross Church, Bignor
St James's Church, Birdham
Holy Trinity Church, Bosham
Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, Bosham
Priory Church of St Mary and St Blaise, Boxgrove
St Nicholas' Church Hall, Broadbridge, Bosham
St Richard's Church, Burton Park
St John the Evangelist's Church, Bury
St Paul's Church, Camelsdale
Brethren's Meeting Room, Camelsdale
Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Chichester
St Pancras' Church, Chichester
St Paul's Church, Chichester
Immanuel Church, Chichester
St George's Church, Chichester
St Michael's Hall, Chichester
St Wilfrid's Church, Chichester
Providence Chapel, Chichester
Chichester Baptist Church, Chichester
Grace Church, Chichester
Revelation Centre, Chichester
Orchard Street Church, Chichester
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Chichester
Swanfield Chapel, Chichester
Friends Meeting House, Chichester
St Richard of Chichester's Church, Chichester
Chichester Christian Spiritualist Church, Chichester
St Mary's Church, Chidham
St Mary's Church, Chithurst
Cittaviveka Buddhist Monastery, Chithurst
St Agatha's Church, Coates
St Catherine of Siena Church, Cocking
St Mary's Church, Compton
St Andrew's Church, Didling
St George's Church, Donnington
Holy Trinity Church, Duncton
St Anthony and St George's Church, Duncton
Earnley Church, Earnley
St Margaret's Church, Eartham
St Mary's Church, Easebourne
All Saints Church, East Dean
East Dean Free Church, East Dean
St Mary's Church, East Lavant
St Peter's Church, East Marden
St Anne's Church, East Wittering
St Peter's Church, East Wittering
Oakfield Avenue Chapel, East Wittering
Holy Trinity Church, Ebernoe
St Bartholomew's Church, Egdean
St Paul's Church, Elsted
St Margaret of Antioch's Church, Fernhurst
Brethren Meeting Room, Fernhurst
St Peter and St Mary's Church, Fishbourne
St Mary's Church, Fittleworth
Fittleworth Evangelical Free Church, Fittleworth
Christ Church, Forestside
St Mary's Church, Funtington
St Giles' Church, Graffham
3 Counties Vineyard, Hammer
New Life Christian Church, Hermitage, Southbourne
St James's Church, Heyshott
St Leodegar's Church, Hunston
St Mary's Church, Iping
St John the Baptist's Church, Kirdford
Tustin Memorial Chapel, Kirdford
St Peter's Church, Linchmere
St Peter's Church, Lodsworth
St John the Baptist's Church, Loxwood
Emmanuel Fellowship Chapel, Loxwood
St Laurence's Church, Lurgashall
St Nicholas' Church, Mid Lavant
St Mary Magdalene and St Denys' Church, Midhurst
Kingdom Hall, Midhurst
Midhurst Methodist Church, Midhurst
Church of the Divine Motherhood and St Francis of Assisi, Midhurst
St Luke's Church, Milland
Milland Evangelical Church, Milland
St Mary's Church, North Marden
St Stephen's Church, North Mundham
St Michael's Church, Northchapel
St Wilfrid's Church, Nutbourne
St Andrew's Church, Oving
St Mary's Church, Petworth
Church of the Sacred Heart, Petworth
Petworth United Reformed Church, Petworth
Holy Trinity Church, Plaistow
Kingdom Hall, Portfield, Chichester
St Peter's Church, Racton
St Bartholomew's Church, Rogate
St James's Church, Selham
St Peter's Church, Selsey
East Beach Evangelical Church, Selsey
Selsey Methodist Church, Selsey
Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St Wilfrid, Selsey
St Mary's Church, Sennicotts
St Mary's Church, Sidlesham
Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Singleton
St Mary and St Gabriel's Church, South Harting
St John the Evangelist's Church, Southbourne
Southbourne Free Church, Southbourne
St Paul's Church, Stansted Park
St James's Church, Stedham
St Mary the Virgin's Church, Stopham
St Mary's Church, Stoughton
St John the Baptist's Church, Sutton
St Andrew's Church, Tangmere
St Peter's Church, Terwick
All Hallows Church, Tillington
St George's Church, Trotton
St Michael's Church, Up Marden
St Mary the Virgin's Church, Upwaltham
St Andrew's Church, West Dean
St Nicholas' Church, West Itchenor
St Andrew's Church, West Stoke
St Nicholas' Church, West Thorney
St Peter and St Paul's Church, West Wittering
St John the Baptist's Church, Westbourne
Westbourne Baptist Church, Westbourne
St Peter's Church, Westhampnett
St Peter ad Vincula Church, Wisborough Green
Zoar Chapel, Wisborough Green
St Luke's Church, Woodmansgreen, Linch
All Hallows Church, Woolbeding

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List of current places of worship in Chichester District Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.