Tuxlith Chapel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tuxlith Chapel |
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| Milland Old Church | |
Tuxlith Chapel
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 Tuxlith Chapel
Location in West Sussex
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| 51°02′52″N 0°49′26″W / 51.0478°N 0.8238°W | |
| OS grid reference | SU 825 282 |
| Location | Milland, West Sussex |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Friends of Friendless Churches |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 18 June 1959 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Completed | 18th century |
| Closed | 1879 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Plastered stone rubble with ashlar dressings, tiled roof |
Tuxlith Chapel, also known as Milland Old Church, is an old Anglican church. You can find it in the village of Milland, West Sussex, England (grid reference SU 825 282). This building is very special. It is protected as a Grade II listed building. This means it is important for its history and design. The Friends of Friendless Churches charity now takes care of it.
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History of Tuxlith Chapel
This church was likely built as a "chapel of ease." This means it was a smaller church for people who lived far from the main church. It was probably connected to St George's Church in the 16th century.
However, there was an even older building here before that. During some repair work, builders found a hidden window from the 12th century. They also found old stone work in the Norman style. The oldest written record about the church is from a will in 1532. It mentions "the Church of Tyklyth." Church records, called parish registers, go all the way back to 1581.
Changes Over the Years
In the 17th century, a gallery was added inside the church. You could reach it by steps from outside. Later, in the 18th century, a north transept was built. A transept is a part of the church that sticks out, making it look like a cross.
By the 19th century, more people were living in the area. The old church became too small for everyone. So, a new church, called St Luke's, was built nearby in 1879.
From Sunday School to Community Hub
After the new church opened, Tuxlith Chapel was used as a Sunday school. This continued until the 1930s. Then, the building was no longer used and started to fall apart.
In 1959, it was officially listed as a Grade II building. At that time, it was described as "disused and neglected." The church was declared "redundant" in 1974. This means it was no longer needed for regular church services.
It became one of the first churches owned by the charity, the Friends of Friendless Churches. This group helps save old churches that are no longer used. They took over the church with a long-term lease in 1974.
The charity immediately made the building waterproof to protect it. Since then, money has been raised for more repairs. A local group, the Friends of Tuxlith Chapel, started in 1993 to help. Today, the chapel is used as a community center. It hosts concerts and meetings for local people. Some parts of the church, like the pulpit, have been restored. A new altar was also designed for it.
Architecture of Tuxlith Chapel
Tuxlith Chapel is built with plastered stone rubble. This means it's made of rough stones covered in plaster. It has smooth stone details and a tiled roof.
The church has an L-shape. It includes a chancel (the area around the altar), a north transept, and a north porch. It also has a nave (the main part where people sit) with a south porch. On the south wall, you can still see stone steps. These steps used to lead up to the old gallery.
On the west wall, there is a small tower for a bell, called a bellcote. Inside, on either side of the east window, are "Commandment Boards." These boards show the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer.
The famous architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner liked Tuxlith Chapel very much. He said it showed a great difference between true religious feeling and the way churches were sometimes built in the 19th century.
See also
- List of former places of worship in Chichester (district)
