St Andrew-in-the-Oxmarket Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Andrew-in-the-Oxmarket Church |
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St Andrew-in-the-Oxmarket Church in 2012.
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| General information | |
| Address | St Andrew's Court, East Street |
| Town or city | Chichester |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 50°50′12″N 0°46′36″W / 50.8366°N 0.7768°W |
| Current tenants | Oxmarket Centre of Arts |
| Construction started | 13th century |
The St Andrew-in-the-Oxmarket Church is an old church building in Chichester, England. It's now called the Oxmarket Centre of Arts. This building has been around since the 1200s. It was used as a church until the mid-1900s. Back then, damage from a war made it close.
Now, it's a cool place for art! It became an arts center in 1976. Later, in 1989, it was made even bigger. This building is very special. Historic England has given it a Grade II* listing. This means it's important for its history and how it looks.
Contents
A Look Back: The Church's History
The St Andrew-in-the-Oxmarket Church started as a small church in the 1200s. It is located near East Street in central Chichester. You can only reach it through two small paths. For a long time, the church belonged to the main church leader in Chichester. It also owned a lot of land nearby.
Over the years, more parts were added to the church. This happened in the 1300s, 1400s, and 1800s. The north window inside the church shows Saint Cecilia. The south window remembers a poet named William Collins. He is buried right there! A painting of William Cawley used to be here, but it's now in Chichester Cathedral.
In 1878, another old church's area, All Saints-in-the-Pallant, joined with St Andrew-in-the-Oxmarket. Both churches were built in the 1200s.
Wartime Damage and New Beginnings
During World War II in 1943, the St Andrew-in-the-Oxmarket Church was badly bombed. Because of the damage, the people who went to St Andrew's moved to the unused All Saints-in-the-Pallant church.
In the 1950s, St Andrew's Church was no longer used as a church. It was empty for a while. In the 1960s, a church leader named Lancelot Mason had a great idea. He suggested turning the old church into an art gallery. Chichester didn't have any art galleries at that time.
So, from 1971 to 1976, the building was fixed up. It was changed from a church into an arts centre. In 1976, it opened as the Chichester Centre of Arts. Later, its name changed to the Oxmarket Centre of Arts. In 1989, more parts were added to the building. In 2020, plans were approved to make even more modern updates.
Today, the St Andrew-in-the-Oxmarket Church is a Grade II* listed building. This means it's very important. A wall next to the church is also a Grade II listed building. The arts center is open to everyone. You can go inside and see many different artworks on display.
How the Building Looks: Architecture
This church is a small building. It looks like churches you might see in nearby villages. It is built from stone and flint. The outside walls are covered with a special plaster, except for the east end. Here, you can see stone corners that are carefully shaped. The west end has strong supports called buttresses.
Some of the stone used in the walls is very old. It includes pieces from the Norman era. There are also stones taken from the old Roman walls around the city. The windows are all tall and narrow, called lancets. They were added at different times, from the 1200s to the 1800s. The big window at the east end has three lights and is from the 1800s.
The main door at the west end is from the 1300s. On the roof, there's a small tower made of wood. It has a short, pointed roof on top.
Inside the Church
Inside, the church has a simple layout. It has a main area called a nave and a smaller area called a chancel. There isn't a wall or arch separating these two parts. There is a wooden balcony inside. The wooden roof was built in the 1800s.
The part added in 1989 was designed by architect Peter Fleming. It's a two-section addition with glass ends. This new part was built onto the north wall of the church.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in West Sussex
- List of former places of worship in Chichester District
