St Symphorian's Church, Durrington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Symphorian's Church
The church from the east
50°50′11″N 0°24′48″W / 50.8364°N 0.4133°W / 50.8364; -0.4133
Location	Durrington Hill, Durrington, Worthing, West Sussex BN13 2PU
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Anglican
Churchmanship	Modern Catholic
Website	www.stsymphorians.co.uk
History
Status	Parish church
Founded	10th/11th century (original church); 1890 (temporary replacement chapel); 1914 (present church)
Dedication	Symphorian
Dedicated	13 October 1915
Consecrated	15 December 1916
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	11 October 1949
Architect(s)	Lacy W. Ridge; W.H. Godfrey
Style	Early English Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	1914 (present church)
Completed	1941
Administration
Parish	Durrington
Deanery	Rural Deanery of Worthing
Archdeaconry	Chichester
Diocese	Diocese of Chichester
Province	Canterbury

St Symphorian's Church is an Anglican church located in the Durrington area of Worthing, a town in West Sussex, England. The first church here was built in the 13th century. It later fell into ruins in the 1600s, partly because of damage during the English Civil War.

In 1890, as Durrington grew, a temporary church was set up. Then, during World War I, a new, permanent church was built. It was made bigger during World War II. Today, the building is protected as a Grade II listed building because of its important history and design.

History of St Symphorian's Church

Durrington was first mentioned in records in 934. At that time, it was a Saxon piece of land. By 1086, the land belonged to Robert le Sauvage, a powerful lord. The area of Durrington was about 2 miles (3.2 km) long and 0.7 miles (1.1 km) wide.

The First Church Building

The Domesday Book from 1086 noted that Durrington already had a church. This means a church stood here since Saxon times, before the 11th century. The first church was likely made of simple materials like plaster, wood, and straw.

Later, a new church was built. It had a main hall called a nave and a smaller area for the altar called a chancel. These parts were separated by a screen. The church also had a stone pulpit for sermons and a simple stone font for baptisms. A small wooden bell tower stood on the roof. This church was not fully independent; it was connected to St Andrew's Church in nearby West Tarring.

Troubles During the Civil War

In the 1640s, the church was badly damaged during the English Civil War. The local priest, Reverend William Stanley, supported King Charles I. However, most people in Durrington supported the Parliament. This caused a lot of anger.

In 1643, during fighting in Sussex, villagers partly destroyed the church. The priest was removed from his job for a while. After he returned, he rarely served the people of Durrington.

The church has a south aisle.

By 1677, the church was in very poor condition. The church leaders asked why it hadn't been fixed. The villagers explained that the war had ruined it, and they couldn't afford repairs. They also said the priest hadn't helped them.

Later, the church bell was sold without permission to help the poor. In 1680, it was agreed that the villagers could worship at St Andrew's Church instead. The old church fell apart even more, and some of its stones were used for other buildings. Still, it was used sometimes for special events until 1752.

A New Beginning for the Church

Durrington remained a quiet, country area until the 1800s. Then, it started to grow as a suburb of Worthing. In 1890, a new priest paid for a small, temporary church to be built. It was a "tin tabernacle," a simple building made of corrugated iron. Services began to be held there every Sunday.

This church hall stands next to the church.

The next priest wanted to build a permanent church. He also hoped to make it a separate church parish, independent from West Tarring. People started donating money. By 1898, they had raised £641. However, the priest left, and the project slowed down.

In 1910, the temporary church needed repairs. People again thought about building a proper church. In 1911, a priest from St Botolph's Church helped move the plan forward. A committee was formed, and more donations came in. An architect named Lacy W. Ridge designed the new church.

Building the Current Church

On July 14, 1914, Durrington became its own church parish. Building started right away. Parts of the old church walls were used in the new design. Even with World War I happening, enough of the church was built to open in 1915.

It was named St Symphorian's Church on October 13, 1915. A special ceremony to make it official happened on December 15, 1916. Durrington continued to grow, and the church was made even bigger in 1941. The Bishop of Chichester, George Bell, rededicated the church on September 3, 1941.

Since then, the church has had regular repairs. The old walls sometimes caused dampness and cracks. In 1961, the roof timbers had to be replaced because of woodworm. The inside of the church was also updated in the 1960s and 1970s.

Architecture and Design

St Symphorian's Church is built from flint stones with other stone details. It is designed in the Early English style, which was popular in the 1200s. The roof is made of tiles.

The church has a wide main hall (nave) that leads to a taller chancel. It also has a Lady chapel and a vestry (a room for clergy). The entrance porch is on the southwest side. You can still see parts of the original 13th-century walls inside the north, south, and west walls. A small piece from the even older Saxon church has also been found in the north wall. A medieval piscina (a basin for washing sacred vessels) from the ruined chapel was saved and placed in the new church.

Inside, the nave roof is considered very special. It has large wooden supports called trusses. The chancel roof has beams held up by decorated corbels (stone supports). Most of the church windows are tall, narrow lancet windows. Some of these windows have beautiful stained glass, including one that remembers people who died in the world wars.

The church also has a white marble font that came from another church in Worthing. The altar, where Holy Communion is served, is from the 1700s and came from a demolished church in Treyford. An organ was installed in 1954 and rebuilt in 2006.

St Peter's Church

St Peter's Church serves the suburb of High Salvington. It was within St Symphorian's parish until 2010.

As more homes were built in the High Salvington area, north of Durrington, the priest of St Symphorian's decided to open a small mission chapel there. At first, services were held every two weeks.

In 1951, after the priest passed away, the church was sold to the parish. It was known simply as the Mission Church. On July 3, 1951, it was officially named St Peter's Church.

St Peter's is a rare "iron church" or "tin tabernacle." It is the only one of its kind left in Worthing. Most of the items inside were given by local people. In 2010, St Peter's Church became part of a different church parish, All Saints Church in Findon Valley.

St Symphorian's Church Today

St Symphorian's Church was officially listed as a Grade II building on October 11, 1949. This means it is a "nationally important" building with "special interest."

The church parish today covers the Durrington, West Durrington, and High Salvington areas in Worthing. It also includes some nearby rural areas.

The church holds a Eucharistic service every Sunday. There are also daily morning and evening prayer sessions and a daily Holy Communion service.

See also

• Listed buildings in Worthing
• List of places of worship in Worthing