Ifield Quaker Meeting House

The Ifield Quaker Meeting House, built in 1676, is a remarkable example of early Quaker meeting house architecture. A kitchen and toilet block were added in the 20th century. The building is constructed of squared and tooled Sussex stone with a Horsham stone roof laid in diminishing courses, a local vernacular style, and a brick chimneystack. It has an oblong plan.

The main, south-east facing elevation features two half-hipped gables to the north and south, with the chimneystack positioned at the south-west. A chamfered plinth runs around the base. The south elevation incorporates rusticated quoins at the corners and around the entrance. The lintel above the entrance door is inscribed with the date ‘1676’. Some quoins on the right-hand side bear inscriptions thought to record the admission of new members: ‘16 HE 84’, ’16 AH 78’, and ’16 IK 76’. All windows have flat-arched heads. The leaded windows flanking the entrance have three lights and timber transoms and are complemented by small two-light leaded windows in the gables. A lead hopper decorated with oak leaves sits between the gables. The north-east side elevation features two small, high-level, two-light leaded windows. The north-west rear elevation mirrors the front with a single large window. A rear entrance, now internal due to a lean-to brick extension built in 1957, has a divided, nail-studded door with a shelf.

Inside, the meeting house is divided into two spaces by a timber screen with sash shutters, dating from 1822. The western space, formerly used for women's business meetings and now a library, is separated from the main meeting room to the east. Both rooms feature unpainted dado panelling, timber floors, and fixed benches along the walls. The west room has a corner fireplace and a timber-framed west wall. A staircase is located in the north-west corner. The main meeting room contains a large chamfered post with ogee-braces supporting the ceiling, and an elders’ and ministers’ stand is set against the north-east wall on a raised dais. A rear extension houses a kitchen and toilets, and the upper floors contain converted flats and a store room.