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List of places of worship in Arun facts for kids

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The Arun district is a part of West Sussex, England. It has 91 places of worship, both old and new. There are 71 churches, chapels, and meeting rooms that are still used today, plus one mosque. These places serve the busy towns along the English Channel coast and the older villages in the countryside. Another 21 buildings used to be places of worship but are now used for other things.

The 2021 United Kingdom census showed that most people in Arun are Christian. Many churches for the Church of England (the country's main church) and other Christian groups are in towns like Littlehampton and Bognor Regis. These towns were popular seaside resorts in the Victorian era. They grew a lot around the River Arun, and many old villages and their churches became part of these towns. Further north, the town of Arundel has a big Roman Catholic cathedral and an old Church of England parish church. It was also a key place for Nonconformist worship (Protestant groups not part of the Church of England). There is also a mosque and Islamic community center in Bognor Regis for Muslims.

English Heritage has given "listed status" to almost 40 church buildings in Arun. This means they are special because of their history or design. Buildings are listed to protect them. There are three levels of listed status:

  • Grade I: Buildings of "exceptional interest." These are very important.
  • Grade II*: Buildings that are "particularly important" and more than just special.
  • Grade II: Buildings of "special interest."

As of 2001, Arun had 23 Grade I buildings, 24 Grade II* buildings, and 913 Grade II buildings.

Exploring Arun's Churches and Faiths

Arun UK locator map
The district of Arun is on the West Sussex coast.

The Arun district was created in 1974. It covers about 22,811 hectares (about 56,367 acres) along the English Channel coast in West Sussex. It shares borders with other districts like Chichester and Horsham. The district is named after the River Arun, which flows through it and meets the sea at Littlehampton. Littlehampton is one of the main towns and where the district's offices are.

Littlehampton became a seaside resort in the 1800s. Now, it's part of a larger urban area that includes nearby villages like Rustington and Angmering. Each of these places has several churches, including old Anglican ones. West of the River Arun, the Bognor Regis area also has many churches. The countryside further inland is mostly flat and used for farming. Many small villages there grew because of the railway links in the 1800s.

North of the district, on the slopes of the South Downs, you'll find very old villages like Madehurst and Poling. These villages have existed for hundreds of years, often built around their churches. Arundel is another important town in the north. It sits on a hilltop with a famous castle and a Roman Catholic cathedral. From a distance, Arundel looks amazing. Before the coast became so busy, Arundel was the main town in the area. It had places of worship for many different Christian groups, especially Protestant Nonconformists.

Anglican Churches: Old and New

Patching Church - geograph.org.uk - 18770
In the rural north of the district, churches such as this one at Patching nestle on the slopes of the South Downs.

The Church of England is the official church of England. Its churches are found all over the Arun district, both old and new. Some very old churches from the Norman era (around the 11th and 12th centuries) and early medieval times are in places like Ford and Pagham. The church in Burpham is shaped like a cross, which is unusual for this area.

More churches were built in the 1800s as towns grew. In Bognor Regis, a church called St John the Baptist was built in 1821. It was later replaced by a larger one in 1886, which was then taken down in 1972. Now, the main Anglican church in Bognor Regis is St Wilfrid's, a stone building from 1910. Littlehampton's main church, St Mary's, has medieval roots but was rebuilt twice, in 1826 and 1935. In the late 1800s and 1900s, new suburbs like Aldwick and Wick got their own churches. Small "mission rooms" were also opened in faraway villages like Lidsey, so people didn't have to travel far to their main parish church.

The Rise of Roman Catholic Worship

St Catherine's RC Church, Littlehampton (NHLE Code 1027807)
St Catherine's Roman Catholic church was founded in Littlehampton in the 1860s.

For many centuries after the English Reformation, Roman Catholic worship was not allowed. But from the mid-1800s, it grew a lot, especially around Arundel. This was helped by the building of the beautiful Church of Our Lady and St Philip Howard between 1869 and 1873. This church became Arundel Cathedral in 1965 and is now the main church for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton. The powerful Dukes of Norfolk, who lived at Arundel Castle, were strong Catholics and helped Catholicism grow in England. In the 1860s, a local vicar even said there were more Roman Catholics than Anglicans in Arundel.

Other Roman Catholic churches in the district include one in Slindon (since the late 1700s, with the current church from 1865). A priest from Arundel also helped start churches in Angmering, Houghton (now closed), and Littlehampton. Rustington and East Preston got churches in the 1900s. In Bognor Regis, monks from the Servite Order started the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows in 1881.

Nonconformist Churches: A Strong Presence

Protestant Nonconformism (Protestant groups not part of the Church of England) has been strong in Sussex since the 1600s and is still active today. Groups like Baptists, Methodists, the United Reformed Church, Plymouth Brethren, and Quakers have churches in the main towns and some smaller villages. For example, Baptists have met in Walberton since the 1840s, and Methodists in Westergate since 1851.

Congregationalists (who are now part of the United Reformed Church) were very successful in Arundel. Their chapel from 1838 (now a market) was very active until the late 1900s. They even started other churches in nearby villages like Yapton. Quakers in Littlehampton used an old school building as their place of worship. Converted barns are used by Brethren in Felpham, Evangelicals in Aldwick, and Baptists in Angmering. Some Baptist churches in Arundel and Walberton also sold their old chapels and built new ones.

Churches Lost to the Sea

For centuries, the coast in this area has been affected by coastal erosion. This means that the sea has slowly worn away the land. Because of this, several churches and even whole villages have been lost to the sea or became empty. For example, the churches at Cudlow and Ilsham (in Climping parish) were gone by the 1600s. The church at Middleton-on-Sea fell apart by the late 1700s, and the sea was even washing away bodies from the graveyard. It was finally destroyed by a high tide in 1838, and a new church was built later. The old chapel of St Bartholomew in Bognor was also washed away in the early 1500s.

In Angmering parish, only St Margaret's Church is left. In medieval times, East Angmering and Barpham also had their own churches, but they fell into disuse by the 1500s. Some other old chapels that were no longer used for worship before the English Reformation still exist but are used for other things. For example, Bilsham Chapel is now a house, and Bailiffscourt Chapel is on the grounds of a fancy hotel.

Who Belongs to Which Religion?

The 2021 United Kingdom census found that 164,889 people lived in Arun district. Here's how they identified their religion:

  • Christian: 52.11%
  • Muslim: 0.7%
  • Buddhist: 0.3%
  • Hindu: 0.24%
  • Jewish: 0.16%
  • Sikh: 0.05%
  • Another religion: 0.52%
  • No religion: 39.88%
  • Did not state: 6.04%

Compared to England as a whole, Arun had more Christians and more people with no religion. It had fewer people following Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism than the rest of the country.

How Churches are Organized

Church of England Organization

All the Church of England churches in Arun district are part of the Diocese of Chichester. This diocese has its main church, Chichester Cathedral, in Chichester. Most of these churches are also part of the Archdeaconry of Chichester, which is then divided into smaller areas called deaneries.

For example, churches in Clapham and Ferring are in the Rural Deanery of Worthing. Many other churches, including those in Arundel, Bognor Regis, and Littlehampton, are in the Rural Deanery of Arundel and Bognor. The church in Houghton is in a different deanery, the Rural Deanery of Petworth.

Roman Catholic Organization

The seven Roman Catholic churches in Arun district are managed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton. The cathedral in Arundel is the main church for this diocese. Arundel Cathedral itself, along with churches in Bognor Regis and Slindon, are in the Cathedral Deanery. Churches in East Preston, Littlehampton, and Rustington are part of the Worthing Deanery. Littlehampton and Rustington churches are even part of the same parish. There's also a public Mass held at the chapel of the Convent of the Poor Clares in Crossbush.

Methodist and United Reformed Churches

Some Methodist and United Reformed churches in the district are part of a special group called the South West Sussex United Area. This group was formed in 2010 to help these two Christian groups work together. Churches in Bognor Regis, Felpham, Rustington, and Westergate (Methodist), and Pagham and Rustington (United Reformed) are part of this area. The Littlehampton United Church is a joint church for both Methodists and United Reformed members.

Baptist Church Organization

Baptist churches in places like Angmering, Aldwick, Arundel, Bognor Regis, Ferring, and Littlehampton are part of the West Sussex Network, which is a larger group called the South Eastern Baptist Association.

Active Places of Worship in Arun

Here are some of the churches and other places of worship that are still in use today in the Arun district. Many of them are "listed buildings," meaning they are protected because of their history or special design.

  • St Mary the Virgin Church, Aldingbourne

* This Anglican church has parts from the early 1100s. It was restored in 1867. It's a Grade I listed building, meaning it's very important.

  • St Richard's Church, Aldwick

* This Anglican church was built in 1933–34. It's made of brown brick with stone details.

* This Anglican church was largely rebuilt in 1852–53, but it still has some medieval parts. Its tower is from 1507. It's a Grade II* listed building.

* This church used to be a barn and was changed into a church in 1970. It can hold 150 people.

* This Anglican church has a long history, going back to the 1100s. The current building is from the 1300s and 1400s. It's a Grade I listed building.

* This Baptist church opened in 1980. It can hold 80 people.

* This Roman Catholic cathedral was designed in 1868–69 and finished four years later. It's a beautiful building that stands out in the town. It became a cathedral in 1965. It's a Grade I listed building.

  • St Mary the Virgin Church, Barnham

* This simple Anglican church has parts from the Norman era and the 1200s. It has a white wooden belfry. It's a Grade I listed building.

  • Brethren Meeting Room, Barnham

* This building used to be a caretaker's house and was turned into a meeting room for the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church.

  • St Mary's Church, Binsted

* This small, remote Norman church was restored in 1867. It has some 12th-century features, including a mural. It's a Grade II* listed building.

* This Anglican church was built in 1910. It's a tall, wide church made of stone with a colorful brick inside.

* This Baptist church was built in 1964. It was first called Bognor Regis Baptist Church.

* This meeting hall is used by the Exclusive Brethren. It was registered for worship in 1958.

* This Methodist church was built in 1925. It has an Arts and Crafts style with a tower.

* This building used to be a vehicle workshop and was changed into a mosque and Islamic community center in 1999.

* This church is used by the Redeemed Christian Church of God. It's part of a community arts center.

* Quakers in Bognor Regis bought this residential building in 1993 and turned the ground floor into a meeting room.

* This Roman Catholic church was founded in 1881. It's a tall, spacious church made of yellow brick and stone. It's a Grade II listed building.

* This building was originally a Baptist chapel from 1903. The Salvation Army bought it in the 1960s.

* This Spiritualist church has been in its current building since 1961.

  • St Mary's Church, Burpham

* This Anglican church is unusual because it's shaped like a cross. It has parts from the Norman era and was renovated in 1868–69. It's a Grade I listed building.

  • St Mary's Church, Clapham

* This simple Anglican church is from the late Norman era. It's made of flint and has a hip-roofed tower. It's a Grade I listed building.

  • St Mary's Church, Climping

* This Anglican church from the early 1200s is known for its beautiful design. It's a Grade I listed building.

  • St Mary's Church, East Preston

* This Anglican church has a nave and chancel from the 1200s. The tower is from a later period. It's a Grade I listed building.

  • Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea, East Preston

* This Roman Catholic church's first building was from 1957. A new church was added in 1987 with a unique pyramid roof.

* This Norman Anglican church was renovated in the Victorian era. It has old herringbone brickwork. It's a Grade II* listed building.

  • St Mary's Church, Felpham

* This Anglican church started as a small 12th-century building and grew over centuries. It has a 15th-century tower. It's a Grade II* listed building.

  • Kingdom Hall, Felpham

* This building is a Kingdom Hall for Jehovah's Witnesses. It was registered for marriages in 1987.

  • Felpham Methodist Church, Felpham

* This red-brick Methodist church opened in 1939 and was extended in 1985.

  • Brethren Meeting Room, Felpham

* This building used to be a school and then a Roman Catholic church before the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church bought it in 2008.

  • St Andrew's Church, Ferring

* This Anglican church has a flint chancel from the mid-1200s and a nave from the 1600s. It has a "soft village character." It's a Grade I listed building.

  • Ferring Baptist Church, Ferring

* This modern-style Baptist church opened in 1973 and can hold 140 worshippers.

  • St John the Baptist's Church, Findon

* This Anglican church has parts from the 1100s and 1200s. It was restored in 1866–68. It's a Grade I listed building.

  • St Andrew's Church, Ford

* This "very attractive small church" is next to the River Arun. Its white wooden bell-turret was used as a guide for ships. It's a Grade I listed building.

  • St Nicholas' Church, Houghton

* This simple Anglican church from the 1200s was renovated in 1857. It has a bellcot. It's a Grade II* listed building.

* This Anglican parish church was rebuilt in 1826 and again in 1934–35, giving it a unique "Gothic" look. It's a Grade II listed building.

* This Anglican church was built in 1908–10 to serve new housing areas. It's in a Gothic Revival style.

* This Baptist church opened in 1910 and has been enlarged over time due to growing membership.

* This Evangelical church opened in 1973. It was built on a new site after their old hall was needed for road building.

* This building was originally a "Penny School" in 1835. Quakers acquired it in 1965. It's a Grade II listed building.

* This Roman Catholic church was paid for by the Duchess of Norfolk and rebuilt in 1883. It's one of the earliest Roman Catholic churches in Sussex. It's a Grade II listed building.

* This church was built for Congregationalists in 1861. Since 1980, it has been shared with Methodists.

  • St Mary Magdalene's Church, Lyminster

* This Anglican parish church has parts from the Anglo-Saxon period. It has a castellated tower. It's a Grade I listed building.

  • St Mary Magdalene's Church, Madehurst

* This remote Anglican church was largely rebuilt in 1864. It has a tower with strong buttresses. It's a Grade II* listed building.

  • St Nicholas' Church, Middleton-on-Sea

* The original church here was destroyed by coastal erosion. The current Anglican church was built in 1849 and has been extended several times.

  • Holy Cross Church, North Bersted

* This Anglican church was originally a mission church and gained its own parish in 1973. Its spire was removed in 1977.

  • Brethren Meeting Room, North Bersted

* This meeting hall was converted from a sawmill in 1969 for the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church.

  • Gospel Hall, Norton, Aldingbourne

* This meeting room for the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church was built in 2006.

  • Pagham United Reformed Church, Nyetimber

* This church was built in 1966 for Presbyterians, who later became part of the United Reformed Church.

  • St Thomas a Becket's Church, Pagham

* This large Anglican church has transepts and aisles. It was heavily restored in 1837. It's a Grade I listed building.

  • St John the Divine's Church, Patching

* This ancient Anglican church has been restored multiple times in the 1800s. It has a shingle-hung spire. It's a Grade I listed building.

  • St Nicholas' Church, Poling

* This village Anglican church has a mostly Anglo-Saxon nave. The chancel and tower were added later. It's a Grade I listed building.

  • Aldwick Free Church, Rose Green, Aldwick

* This church is home to a congregation of Evangelical Baptists. It was registered for worship in 1938.

  • St Anthony of Viareggio's Church, Rose Green, Aldwick

* This Roman Catholic church is a converted bungalow. It was consecrated in 1963.

* This Anglican church has a 12th-century tower and a 13th-century chancel. It has seen little restoration. It's a Grade II listed building.

* This building was originally a Christian Science reading room. Jehovah's Witnesses bought it in 1962 and converted it into a Kingdom Hall.

* This brick Methodist church was built in 1952 and extended in the 1970s. It's the third Methodist church in the town.

* This Roman Catholic church was built in 1951. It has a small corner bell-turret.

* This United Reformed church was built in 1960–61. It has a low, steep roof.

  • St Mary's Church, Slindon

* This Anglican church has some 11th-century parts. It was restored in 1866. It's a Grade I listed building.

  • St Richard's Church, Slindon

* This Roman Catholic church was built in 1865. It reflects the strong Catholic tradition in the area. It's a Grade II listed building.

  • St Mary Magdalene's Church, South Bersted

* This Anglican church has a strong appearance due to its restoration in 1879–81 and its large 13th-century tower. It's a Grade II* listed building.

  • St Leonard's Church, South Stoke

* This Anglican church is largely an 11th-century building, existing since the Domesday survey in 1086. It's a Grade I listed building.

* This Anglican church has Saxon origins and has been restored over centuries. It's a Grade I listed building.

  • Walberton Baptist Church, Walberton

* This "imposing" Baptist church was built in 1886. It has flint and colorful brickwork.

  • Westergate Methodist Church, Westergate

* Methodists in this area first used a barn in 1851. A new church was built nearby in 1962.

  • All Saints Church, Wick

* This Anglican church was built in 1882 as a chapel of ease. It became its own parish in 1973.

  • Arun Community Church (Wickbourne Centre), Wick

* This Evangelical church was built in 1959 and replaced by the Wickbourne Centre in 2004, a multi-use community building.

  • St Mary's Church, Yapton

* This Anglican church dates almost entirely from 1180 to 1220. Its nave aisles are very low. It's a Grade I listed building.

* This building was a Congregational chapel in 1848. The current building is from 1861 and is now home to an Evangelical congregation. It's a Grade II listed building.

  • Brethren Meeting Room, Yapton

* This building used to be a pub and was converted into a Gospel hall for the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church.

Former Places of Worship in Arun

Some buildings in Arun district used to be places of worship but are now used for other purposes.

* This old Baptist chapel, built in 1846, was known for its "strangely towered" design. It was sold in 1970 and converted into two houses. It's a Grade II listed building.

  • St Wilfrid's Church, Angmering

* This Roman Catholic chapel served Angmering from 1872 until 1995. It was then made part of the nearby St Wilfrid's School.

  • Arun Street Baptist Chapel, Arundel

* This Baptist chapel was built in 1868 on the site of an old Quaker meeting house. It closed in 1967 and became a shop, then a house.

* This chapel, built in 1836–38, was originally for an Independent congregation. It later became an antiques market in the 1980s. It's a Grade II listed building.

  • Bailiffscourt Chapel, Atherington

* This simple 13th-century chapel is now on the grounds of a luxury hotel. It was originally a private chapel for a manor house. It's a Grade II* listed building.

  • Barnham Methodist Church, Barnham

* This brick and stucco chapel, built in 1931, is now used for commercial purposes.

  • St Philip Howard's Chapel, Barnham

* A new chapel at the local Roman Catholic secondary school was opened for public worship in 1970 but closed to the public in the early 2000s.

* This chapel, from the 1200s and 1300s, was no longer used by 1551 and became cottages, then a shed, and finally a single house in 1972. It's a Grade II listed building.

  • First Church of Christ, Scientist, Bognor Regis, Bognor Regis

* This building was built for Christian Scientists in 1957. It is now the Regis Recital Hall.

* This larger church was built in 1930 for Congregationalists. It closed in 2010 and is now a community center, though part is used by another church.

  • Nepcote Chapel, Findon

* This small chapel, built in 1881, was used by Baptists. The congregation moved in 1940, and it was later used by Evangelicals.

  • Church of St Edmund, Archbishop, Houghton

* This red-brick Roman Catholic church opened in 1879. It closed in the mid-1990s and became an auction gallery, then a house.

  • Siloam Methodist Chapel, Lagness

* This small red-brick Methodist chapel, opened in 1840, is now part of a bed and breakfast.

  • Lidsey Mission Hall, Lidsey, Aldingbourne

* This mission room was built around 1905 for Anglican worshippers. It later became a commercial building.

  • North Bersted United Reformed Church, North Bersted

* This Congregational chapel opened in 1936. It is now used for residential purposes.

  • Chapel at Barton Manor, Nyetimber

* This 13th-century chapel is part of an ancient manor house, now a luxury residential complex. It was used by local parishioners in the Middle Ages. It's a Grade II listed building.

* This church, from the mid-1100s, was declared no longer needed in 1978. It has remarkable carvings around its doorway. It's a Grade II listed building.

  • Walberton Baptist Chapel, Walberton

* This small building was used by Baptists from 1847 until a new church was built in 1886. It is now a garage.

  • St Barnabas Church, Warningcamp

* This building was used as a church from 1923 until 1967 and was then sold for residential conversion.

  • Westergate Mission Hall, Westergate

* This building was built around 1905 as a mission room. It later had social functions and was converted into a house in 2007.

Images for kids

  • Cathedral of Our Lady and St Philip Howard, London Road, Arundel (NHLE Code 1248090) (April 2011) (4)

    The French Gothic Revival Roman Catholic cathedral at Arundel, built in 1870–73, dominates the town's skyline.

See also

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