Church Of St Mary

Church of St Mary, Felpham

A large medieval parish church now situated on the outskirts of Bognor Regis. The building demonstrates clear phases of development spanning from the 12th century to the 20th century, beginning with 12th-century origins and a north arcade of around 1200, followed by a south arcade and clerestory dating to around 1300, a chancel of around 1350, and a 15th-century tower. The south aisle was raised and refenestrated in the 15th century. Later additions include a south porch of around 1800, a rector's vestry of 1899, and a choir vestry of 1939.

The church is constructed of London Clay cementstone, Bognor stone, chalk marl, and Mixon stone rubble with flint. The roofs are tiled in red, with the tower having undergone extensive 20th-century tile repair. The plan comprises a nave, chancel, and west tower, with three-bay aisles on both north and south sides. The north aisle sits beneath a lean-to roof with clerestory lighting to the nave, while the south aisle is covered by a catslide roof. A south porch and rector's vestry occupy the western end of the north aisle, while a choir vestry is positioned on the north side with a connecting link to the aisle.

The chancel is a handsome three-bay structure dating to the 14th century with diagonal buttresses to its east wall and set-off buttresses to north and south. The east window contains three lights with Flamboyant tracery. The north and south windows are tall two-light openings with Decorated tracery, and an ogival arched priest's doorway of pleasing design sits on the south side. The nave's north side features two small trefoil-headed clerestory windows above the lean-to aisle roof. The north aisle itself displays three large gabled dormer windows containing trefoil-headed lancets and a plate-traceried east window. The south aisle has square-headed windows, those flanking the porch fitted with hoodmoulds. A handsome three-stage embattled 15th-century tower dominates the west end, equipped with diagonal buttresses, a low pyramidal tiled roof, and a chequerboard frieze above the lower stage. The tower's west face contains a worn doorway and a three-light Perpendicular-style window, with two-light segmental-headed belfry windows. A slate clock face mounted in a diagonal frame on the south side commemorates Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. The 1899 rector's vestry at the north end of the north aisle maintains the form of the medieval aisle and features a two-light square-headed west window. The 1939 flint choir vestry is large and positioned parallel to the north aisle. The south porch, dating to around 1800, is gabled and contains a 15th- or early 16th-century plank and cover strip south door with studs.

The interior contains a double hollow-chamfered chancel arch with arch mouldings that die into the responds. The north arcade, dating to around 1200, comprises three bays with circular piers and square capitals, narrow chamfered slightly pointed arches, and carved detail on the arcade wall above the capitals. The three-bay south arcade of around 1300 features cylindrical piers with moulded capitals and double-chamfered arches. A tall double-chamfered tower arch rises above. The responds carry moulded capitals that extend across the west wall as string courses. The nave roof dates to the 19th or early 20th century and features crown posts with tie beams and two-way bracing, together with a boarded ceiling. The chancel roof, probably of the 19th century, is a collar rafter construction with ashlar pieces and straight braces, ceiled with plaster board above the collars. A 14th-century ogival arched piscine is set in the chancel wall.

The sanctuary contains a 1870s or 1880s reredos with a gabled marble frame enclosing a mosaic and tile Annunciation scene, with integral mosaic and tile work extending across the east wall as a dado. Nineteenth-century encaustic floor tiles pave the sanctuary, and a 19th-century timber Gothic sanctuary rail stands before it. Nineteenth-century choir stalls and nave benches feature ends with poppyhead finials. A 19th-century timber drum pulpit with blind traceried sides was refashioned in 1978, as recorded by plaque. The font, probably dating to the early 13th century, is of Wealden marble with a square bowl decorated with round-headed arcading. A 1963 bell-ringers' gallery occupies the tower.

Wall monuments include an oval tablet to Thomas Steele, Recorder of Chichester, who died in 1775, and a plain tablet to William Hayley, poet and biographer of Cowper, who died in 1820, inscribed with a lengthy poem by Mrs Opie. A 13th-century parish chest in the rector's vestry was not viewed at the time of inspection in August 2002.

The church has special significance as a multi-phase medieval structure where each phase remains clearly legible. The 13th-century clerestory is rare in Sussex, and the font, probably of early 13th-century date, is of high quality. The 19th-century mosaic and tile Annunciation altar piece and the wall plaque commemorating the poet William Hayley add historical interest, though the reredos and seating are typical of 19th-century character.