Church Of St Thomas At Cliffe

The Church of St Thomas at Cliffe is a church that dates back to the 12th century, with additions and restorations from the 14th and 15th centuries, and further restoration in 1879 and 1885. It is constructed of flint and stone, featuring stone quoins and dressings, with roofs made of Horsham slabs and plain tiles. The church has a west tower, a nave, north and south aisles, a south porch, and a chancel with a north vestry.

The west tower is three stages high and has diagonal buttresses, with string-courses dividing the stages and a plain parapet made of brick-banded flint with coping. The tower is topped with a pyramidal roof of plain tiles and has an octagonal stair-turret at the northeast corner. The belfry openings, which are from the 15th century, have been largely renewed, and there is a single light on the west side of the second stage. The first stage features a large reworked 15th-century window above the west door, which has a 19th-century three-centred arch, carved foliage in the spandrels, and a hoodmould.

The aisles, which have separate roofs, each contain two 19th-century windows. The south aisle is symmetrically arranged around a central two-storey porch, which is blind above and has a 15th-century moulded doorway below, featuring doubled boarded and ribbed doors. The lower chancel has a single 19th-century Perpendicular-style window to the south and a larger similar window to the east.

Inside, there is a 19th-century tower arch and three-bay arcades supported by octagonal piers and capitals, with hollow-chamfered arches. The tower arch is similar but larger. Notable fittings include the Tudor royal arms from the reign of Queen Elizabeth, dated 1598.