A church has stood on this site for over a thousand years, a witness to the Christian faith in this part of Sussex. This guide outlines the main development of the church from Norman The origins of Felpham can be traced back to Saxon times, with the earliest mention being in 880 when it was referred to as Felhamme. The church then would have been a timber frame with plaster fillings. It was recorded in the Domesday book in 1086 when the village was then referred to as Falcheham.
Around 1100 the old Saxon church was pulled down and a stone one built on its site. Some of the Early Norman walling remains today in the nave. There would have been a low wooden roof with some deeply recessed windows letting in just a little light. A low archway would have led into a small chancel. The church was extended in c1200 with the addition of the north aisle. The existing nave wall was pierced and the three arches added. The next extension was in 1300 when most of the south wall of the nave was pulled down and the south aisle added. The wall above the columns is of chalk, of rather poor workmanship and is much thinner than the north wall.
Around 1343 the roof of the nave was raised. At the same time the two celestory windows in the north wall were added when the wall was made higher for the raised roof. Such windows are relatively rare in Sussex. It was at about this time when the small chancel was rebuilt and much enlarged. The chancel is long relative to the nave and this suggests that the church was wealthy at this time with elaborate services. The chancel arch would also have been enlarged at the same time.
The tower with its imposing arch was added in three stages from around 1500. A gallery once spanned the western end of the nave with a corner window in the roof on the south side. These were removed in 1884. The south porch is more recent being rebuilt around 1800 and incorporating some work from the 17th century.
www.stmarysfelpham.org/history
Photo by Mike Harding