Church Heritage Record 610150

Skip over navigation

Core DetailsLocationBuildingInteriorChurchyardSignificanceEnvironmentForumAudit

Worthing: St Paul

Name:

This is the church’s legal name as given by the Church Commissioners.

Worthing: St Paul
Record Type:

A classification of the current status of the building

Closed Church
Church code:

This is a unique identification number supplied to each church building by the Church Commissioners.

610150
Diocese:

Name of diocese in which the church building is located at the time of entry.

Chichester
Archdeaconry:

Name of archdeaconry in which the church building is located at the time of entry

Chichester
Parish:

This is the legal name of the parish as given by the Church Commissioners.

Worthing, Christ Church

Please enter a number

Statutory Designation Information

Listed Building?

The decision to put a church building on the National Heritage List for England and assign it a listing grade is made by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The decision is normally based on recommendations made by Historic England, the government’s adviser on the historic environment.

This is not a Listed Building
Scheduled Monument?

The decision to schedule a feature (building, monument, archaeological remains, etc.) located within the church building’s precinct or churchyard is made by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The decision is based on recommendations made by Historic England, the government’s adviser on cultural heritage.

There is no Scheduled Monument within the curtilage or precinct

National Park

National Parks are areas of countryside that include villages and towns, which are protected because of their beautiful countryside, wildlife and cultural heritage. In England, National Parks are designated by Natural England, the government’s advisor on the natural environment.

Work in progress - can you help?

Conservation Area

Conservation areas are places of special architectural or historic interest where it is desirable to preserve and enhance the character and appearance of such areas. Conservation Areas are designated by the Local Council.

Work in progress - can you help?

Please enter a number

Heritage At Risk Status

On Heritage At Risk Register?

The Heritage at Risk programme is run and managed by Historic England, the government’s advisor on cultural heritage. It aims to protect and manage the historic environment, so that the number of ‘at risk’ historic places and sites across England are reduced.

This church is not on the Heritage at Risk Register
 **************

Approximate Date

Approximate Date:

Selecting a single date for the construction of a church building can sometimes be very difficult as most CoE buildings have seen many phases of development over time. The CHR allows you to record a time period rather than a specific date.

The CHR records the time period for the building’s predominant fabric as opposed to the date of the earliest fabric or the church’s foundation date.

Post Medieval

Exterior Image

Work in progress - can you help?

Summary Description

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
This building is regarded as the Town Church of Worthing, as it was the first Anglican place of worship (and indeed one of the first major buildings) to be built in the growing seaside resort. The building began as a Chapel of Ease to the parish church of nearby Broadwater, and the earliest depictions show the building in a semi-rural location at the northern fringe of the developing connurbation. The chapel was built in 1812 by the architect John B Rebecca of Worthing, while the original interior was designed by Charles Hide.

Visiting and Facilities

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
The church is closed for worship.
Date closed for worship:
Work in progress - can you help?
 **************

Church Website

Church Website:

www.holytrinitylyonsdown.org.uk

Work in progress - can you help?

Sources and Further Information

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
James Miles (2018) Closed Churches [Digital Archive/Data]
ICBS (1817-1989) Incorporated Church Building Society Archive https://images.lambethpalacelibrary.org.uk/luna/servlet/detail/LPLIBLPL~34~34~142574~120064 [Archive/Graphic material]

Ground plan

ICBS File Number - 09621

Coverage - 1891-1893

Created by HYDE, Robert Singer: b. c.1845 - d. 1913

Church Buildings Council (2019) Church Bells 1 Bell [Archive/Index]
1 Bell

If you notice any errors with the below outlines of your connected churchyards, please email heritageonline@churchofengland.org with the corrections needed.

This could include information on new churchyards, edits to the boundaries shown, or different land characteristics. 

We are working on adding the consecrated land found within local authority cemeteries, and in time, this data will be shown on the map.

Grid Reference: TQ 148 028

To zoom into an area hold the SHIFT key down then click and drag a rectangle.

Administrative Area

County:

The administrative area within which the church is located.

West Sussex County

Location and Setting

This field describes the setting of the church building, i.e. the surroundings in which the church building is experienced, and whether or not it makes a positive or negative contribution to the significance of the building.

This building is regarded as the Town Church of Worthing, as it was the first Anglican place of worship (and indeed one of the first major buildings) to be built in the growing seaside resort.  The building began as a Chapel of Ease to the parish church of nearby Broadwater, and the earliest depictions show the building in a semi-rural location at the northern fringe of the developing connurbation.  The path running past the east portico of the chapel became the main thoroughfare of the town, and is still known by the name Chapel Road.  This is now very busy with traffic.  The main public buildings are grouped around the church along the road, including the Town Hall and Assembly Hall by C Cowles-Voysey (1930), all within a Conservation Area. The parish church of Christ Church (1841, by John Elliott) is situated at the end of Ambrose Place, which runs along the south side of St Paul’s.  The church thus occupies a central position in the town and its history, and is an important local landmark, with its imposing east portico fronting the road particularly dominant.

Church Plan

Work in progress - can you help?

Ground Plan Description and Dimensions

Ground Plan

Provide as written description of the ground plan of the church building and well as its dimensions.

5-bay aisled nave with galleries, low 2-bay chancel with organ chamber and vestries at the west end, vestibule with (relocated) organ above and staircases housed in shallow transepts at the east end; south porch.

Dimensions

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

Nave 60ft (19m) long, 50ft (15.8m) wide. Chancel 12ft (3.8m) long and 25ft (7.9m) wide.

Footprint of Church buildings (m2):

Small (<199m2)

Medium (200-599m2)

Large (600m-999m2)

Very Large (>1000m2)

Work in progress - can you help?

Description of Archaeology and History

This field aims to record the archaeological potential of the wider area around the building and churchyard, as well as the history of site.

The chapel was built in 1812 by the architect John B Rebecca of Worthing, while the original interior was designed by Charles Hide (these men were also responsible for several other buildings within the town).  The work was financed by private donations and by the unusual method of pew rents, whereby each donor was required to buy blocks of pews which were later rented out or sold, even being offered at auctions.  The chapel was favoured at this time by royal patronage, particularly female royalty (Queen Charlotte, Princess Augusta and others) taking the waters at Worthing.  The Commissioners allocated a parish to the church in 1893, which was redesigned by R S Hyde to fulfil this new role, with a new shallow two-bay chancel with vestries and organ chamber built onto the west end of the building, new south porch and internal re-ordering.  The original iron rails around the east end of the church were removed shortly afterwards.  The church was damaged in the Blitz, and repaired after the war.  A church hall was added in 1964 to the north side with a connecting passage at the north-west corner, at which time repairs were undertaken to the fabric of the building.  The rendered east portico and transepts were painted white in 1975.

Exterior Description

This field aims to record a written description of the exterior of the church building and the churchyard.

The church is neo-classical in style, with strong Greek Revivalist characteristics in the oldest parts of the building.  The dominating architectural feature is the heavy Doric portico at the east end, which has a moulded triangular pediment with blank tympanum. The four portico columns are unfluted, and have plain flat round capitals and square abaci.  The floor and steps to the portico are of York flagstones.

The east front behind the portico is framed by corner pilasters, as are the shallow transepts.  There were originally two single tall rectangular windows in each of these transepts illuminating the fine internal spiral stairwells, but now the lower of these are blocked.  The remaining upper windows still have their original glazing bars.

The east facade is pierced by two round-headed doorways with labels, giving access to staircases to the flanking galleries housed within the transepts and to the vestibule.  Between these is a central square-headed two-light window with a pediment above.  At the base of this pediment is a string-course which continues at this height around the building.  Another string-course similarly continues from the base of the portico pediment.  Set slightly back from the portico is a rather squat domed cupola on a square base.  This has a frieze of bold Greek-key decoration around the base of the dome.

The nave roof is low-pitched, with queen-posts and tie-beams which span the entire width of the nave. Failure of some of the timbers has resulted in the church being closed for worship since 1995.  The roof is invisible from the road as it is contained within a plain parapet wall. 

The aisles and clearstorey have five  (respectively) segmental and tall round-headed windows.  The western south aisle window is now blocked by the external south porch, which was added in 1893 following the construction of the chancel at the west end, in order to facilitate access to the latter. The windows of the porch, the clearstorey of the chancel, and the chancel transepts are also round-headed, and were obviously intended to conform to the older windows.

The whole effect of the exterior view is, or rather was, simple, compact and powerful rather than sophisticated, light and graceful, reflecting the rediscovery of Greek Doric at this time; Nairn called it an “ugly, tough-minded little building”, but this will not be everyone’s reaction.  The neatness of the original view from the south has been somewhat compromised by the additions at the west end and the buildings on the south side of Ambrose Place, while the church hall now blocks the view from the north.  The east portico is however still as prominent a part of the townscape as ever.

Architects, Artists and Associated People/Organisations

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Who:
John B Rebecca
Role:
Architect
From:
01 Jan 1812
To:
31 Dec 1812
Contribution:
designed church

Building Fabric and Features

This field is an index of the building and its major components

Skip Navigation Links.
Collapse Building Fabric and FeaturesBuilding Fabric and Features
CHANCEL (19th century)
GALLERY (ECCLESIASTICAL) (19th century)
NAVE (19th century)
ORGAN (COMPONENT) (19th century)
PORCH (19th century)
TRANSEPT (19th century)
VESTRY (19th century)

Building Materials

This field is an index of the building’s material composition

Skip Navigation Links.
Collapse Building MaterialsBuilding Materials
BATH STONE (19th century)
BRICK (19th century)
RENDER (19th century)
SLATE (19th century)
TIMBER (19th century)

Interior Image

Work in progress - can you help?

Interior Description

This field aims to record a written description of the interior of the church building.

The character of the interior was much changed in 1893 by the addition of the chancel at the west end and the consequent reorientation and reordering.  Prior to this, the chapel was a “preaching box” with galleries on three sides and a huge three-decker pulpit at the east end above which the organ rose, with the communion table tucked in behind, an arrangement more familiar from non-conformist chapels.  The reordering entailed the removal of the original pulpit and the nave box pews, which were replaced by bench pews and conventional choir stalls.

The west gallery was removed and the wall pierced to give access to the new chancel.  The chancel arch has egg-and-dart mouldings and a moulded keystone, and is carried on a Roman Doric entablature with moulded architrave, blank frieze and again egg-and-dart mouldings.  This is supported by a pair of detached columns, with scroll-moulded bases and capitals with egg-and–dart enriched echini and ornamented hypotrachelia (rosettes), again typical Roman Doric.  The chancel wall itself has pilasters continuing above the cornice to the ceiling, which frame inset panels and the spandrels above the chancel arch. 

The pilasters flank arched entrances either side of the chancel arch giving access to the vestries, which have double arched openings back into the chancel itself (clearstorey above with pairs of round-headed windows), of which the north-west arch is blank and contains a tablet commemorating an incumbent. 

The west wall behind the altar is decorated with alabaster and green marble panels around an ornate neo-classical Italianate reredos (see below).  The sanctuary has a gilded coffered barrel-vaulted ceiling.  The floor is of marble tesserae, with Greek-key patterns in black, brown and white (woodblock floor in the nave). This profusion of decorative features in the chancel contrasts with the austere simplicity of the Greek Doric used in the original parts of the building (nave, portico).

The nave has a timber panelled ceiling. The aisles have galleries above which are supported by piers of the same design and proportions as those supporting the portico.  The gallery fronts are of two parts, the lower having double panels between stanchions, the upper consisting of a balustraded rail.  The fronts have been painted white since 1927.  At the west end the galleries sweep round to meet the outer walls.  The pews all face inwards, so reordering was not necessary after the altar was moved to the west end, hence their survival.

The organ pipes dominate the view of the internal east facade.  Mounted on the wall underneath this are the Royal Arms (see below), which were originally  (pre-1893)  mounted on a canopy above the west gallery.  The vestibule below this consists of a central space (now the baptistery, previously the altar and vestry) lit by the two-light stained glass window described above, flanked by the staircases to the galleries.

Internal Fixtures and Fittings

This field is an index of the building’s internal, architectural components. This includes its internal spaces and those areas’ fixtures and fittings (building components which are securely fixed to the church or cathedral).

Skip Navigation Links.
Collapse Internal Fixtures and FittingsInternal Fixtures and Fittings
ALTAR (19th century)
BELL (1 of 1)
FONT (COMPONENT) (19th century)
FONT (COMPONENT) (15th century)
INSCRIBED OBJECT (19th / 20th century)
LECTERN (20th century)
ORGAN (COMPONENT) (20th century)
PEW (COMPONENT) (19th century)
PULPIT (19th century)
RAIL (19th century)
REREDOS (20th century)

Portable Furnishings and Artworks

This field is an index of the building’s movable, non-fixed furnishings and artworks.

Skip Navigation Links.
Collapse Portable Furnishings and ArtworksPortable Furnishings and Artworks
BOOK (19th century)

If you notice any errors with the below outlines of your connected churchyards, please email heritageonline@churchofengland.org with the corrections needed.

This could include information on new churchyards, edits to the boundaries shown, or different land characteristics. 

We are working on adding the consecrated land found within local authority cemeteries, and in time, this data will be shown on the map.

Grid Reference: TQ 148 028

To zoom into an area hold the SHIFT key down then click and drag a rectangle.

Ecology

This field aims to record a description of the ecology of the churchyard and surrounding setting.

Work in progress - can you help?

Ecological Designations

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

The everyday wildlife of burial grounds means much to those who visit and cherish them but many burial grounds are so rich in wildlife that they should be designated and specially protected. Few have the legal protection of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or, in the case of local authority owned cemeteries, Local Nature Reserve. This makes it even more important that they are cared for and protected by the people looking after them.

Many have a non-statutory designation as a recognition of their importance. These non-statutory designations have a variety of names in different regions including Local Wildlife Site, County Wildlife Site, Site of Importance for Nature Conservation or Site of Nature Conservation Importance (Local Wildlife Site is the most common name). Their selection is based on records of the most important, distinctive and threatened species and habitats within a national, regional and local context. This makes them some of our most valuable wildlife areas.

For example, many burial grounds which are designated as Local Wildlife Sites contain species-rich meadow, rich in wildflowers, native grasses and grassland fungi managed by only occasional mowing plus raking. When this is the case, many animals may be present too, insects, birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals. This type of grassland was once widespread and has been almost entirely lost from the UK with approximately 3% remaining, so burial grounds with species-rich meadow managed in this way are extremely important for wildlife.

These designations should be considered when planning management or change.

If you think that this or any other burial ground should be designated please contact Caring for God’s Acre (info@cfga.org.uk) to discuss. Many eligible sites have not yet received a designation and can be surveyed and then submitted for consideration.

There are no SSSIs within the curtilage of this Closed Church.

There are no Local nature reserves within the curtilage of this Closed Church.

There are no Local Wildlife sites within the curtilage of this Closed Church.

Evidence of the Presence of Bats

This field aims to record any evidence of the presence of bats in the church building or churchyard.

The church has no evidence of bats

Burial and War Grave Information

This field records basic information about the presence of a churchyard and its use as a burial ground.

It is unknown whether the church or churchyard is consecrated. Work in progress - can you help?
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial. Work in progress - can you help?
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial. Work in progress - can you help?
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
It is unknown whether the churchyard is closed for burial. Work in progress - can you help?
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
The churchyard does not have war graves.

National Heritage List for England Designations

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

There are no Listed Buildings within the curtilage of this Closed Church.

There are no Scheduled Monuments within the curtilage of this Closed Church.

Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

Churchyards are home to fantastic trees, in particular ancient and veteran trees which can be the oldest indication of a sacred space and be features of extraordinary individuality. The UK holds a globally important population of ancient and veteran yew trees of which three-quarters are found in the churchyards of England and Wales.

There are more than 1,000 ancient and veteran yews aged at least 500 years in these churchyards.

To put this in context, the only other part of western Europe with a known significant yew population is Normandy in northern France, where more than 100 ancient or veteran churchyard yews have been recorded.

Burial grounds may contain veteran and ancient trees of other species such as sweet chestnut or small-leaved lime which, whilst maybe not so old as the yews, are still important for wildlife and may be home to many other species.

Specialist advice is needed when managing these wonderful trees. For more information or to seek advice please contact Caring for God’s Acre, The Ancient Yew Group and The Woodland Trust.

If you know of an ancient or veteran tree in a burial ground that is not listed here please contact Caring for God’s Acre.

There are currently no Ancient, Veteran or Notable trees connected to this Closed Church

Churchyard Structures

This field is an index of the churchyard’s components.

Work in progress - can you help?

Significance

Setting Significance Level:

Significance is the whole set of reasons why people value a church, whether as a place for worship and mission, as an historic building that is part of the national heritage, as a focus for the local community, as a familiar landmark or for any other reasons.

Work in progress - can you help?
Setting Significance Description:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Work in progress - can you help?
Fabric Significance Level:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Work in progress - can you help?
Fabric Significance Description:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Work in progress - can you help?
Interior Significance Level:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Work in progress - can you help?
Interior Significance Description:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Work in progress - can you help?
Community Significance Level:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Work in progress - can you help?
Community Significance Description:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Work in progress - can you help?

Church Renewables

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Open the map of church renewable installations
Solar PV Panels:

This information forms part of the Shrinking the Footprint project.

No
Solar Thermal Panels:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
Bio Mass:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
Air Source Heat Pump:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
Ground Source Heat Pump:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
Wind Turbine:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
EV Car Charging:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Unknown

Species Summary

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

All of the species listed below have been recorded in close proximity to the Closed Church . A few species which are particularly threatened and affected by disturbance may not be listed here because their exact location cannot be shared.

NOTE: Be aware that this dataset is growing, and the species totals may change once the National Biodiversity Network has added further records. Species may be present but not recorded and still await discovery.

No species data found for this record

Caring for God’s Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.

To learn more about all of the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.

‘Seek Advice’ Species

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

If any of the following species have been seen close to the Closed Church, it is important to seek advice from an expert. You will need to know if they are present now, and to follow expert recommendations when planning works. All of these species have specific legal protection as a recognition of their rarity. All of them are rare or becoming increasingly endangered, so it is important to ensure that management and other works do not adversely affect them. In addition, there may be things you can do to help these special species. N.B. Swift and House Martin do not have specific legal protection but are included, as roof repair works often impact breeding swifts and house martins which is against the law.

This is not a complete list of protected species, there are many more, but these are ones that are more likely to be found. All wild birds, their nests and eggs are also protected by law, as are all bats and veteran trees. In a few cases, species are considered particularly prone to disturbance or destruction by people, so the exact location of where they were recorded is not publicly available but can be requested. These ‘blurred’ records are included here, and the accuracy is to 1km. This means that the species has been recorded in close proximity to the Closed Church, or a maximum of 1km away from it. As these ‘blurred’ species are quite mobile, there is a strong likelihood that they can occur close to the Closed Church. To learn about these special species, use the link provided for each species in the table below

One important species which is not included here is the Peregrine Falcon. This is protected and advice should be sought if peregrines are nesting on a church or cathedral. Peregrine records are ‘blurred’ to 10km, hence the decision not to include records here. Remember too that species not seriously threatened nationally may still be at risk in your region and be sensitive to works. You should check with local experts about this. You may also need to seek advice about invasive species, such as Japanese knotweed and aquatics colonising streams or pools, which can spread in churchyards.

N.B. If a species is not recorded this does not indicate absence. It is always good practice to survey.

No species data found for this record

Caring for God’s Acre can help and support you in looking after the biodiversity present in this special place. If you know that any of these species occur close to the Closed Church and are not recorded here, please contact Caring for God’s Acre with details (info@cfga.org.uk).

To find out more about these and other species recorded against this Closed Church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas.

The church was the centre of many people’s lives and remains a guide to their cares and concerns. Glimpses into those lives have often come down to us in the stories we heard as children or old photographs discovered in tattered shoe boxes. Perhaps your ancestors even made it into local legend following some fantastic event? You can choose to share those memories with others and record them for future generations on this Forum.

Tell us the story of this building through the lives of those who experienced it. Tell us why this church is important to you and your community.

Upload your photographs, share your videos, or compose your story below using a Facebook, Twitter, Google or Disqus account.

Refresh
WhoActionWhen
Oliver LackAdded SourceMon 01 Aug 2022 17:18:20
Oliver LackModified asset data - Modified the Summary DescriptionMon 01 Aug 2022 17:16:22
Anna CampenModified asset data - Modified the Approximate DateTue 05 Sep 2017 14:51:46
Anna CampenAdded interior feature typeMon 04 Sep 2017 12:29:34
Anna CampenAdded interior feature typeMon 04 Sep 2017 12:29:17
Anna CampenAdded object typeMon 04 Sep 2017 12:28:53
Anna CampenAdded interior feature typeMon 04 Sep 2017 12:28:28
Anna CampenAdded interior feature typeMon 04 Sep 2017 12:27:56
Anna CampenAdded interior feature typeMon 04 Sep 2017 12:27:35
Anna CampenAdded interior feature typeMon 04 Sep 2017 12:27:08
First Previous Next Last 
Page 1 of 4 (36 items)
Page size:
Site Map  | Privacy | T & C | © 2014 - 2025 Archbishops' Council  | Web site by exeGesIS SDM | Rev. 3.4.8529.22773
  • Home
  • Login
  • Register
  • Church Search
  • Site Map