The Parish Church of St Mary

THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY, CHURCH LANE

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
I
List Entry Number:
1353763
Date first listed:
12-Oct-1954
List Entry Name:
The Parish Church of St Mary
Statutory Address:
THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY, CHURCH LANE
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Date:
2006-03-03
Reference:
IOE01/14988/24
Rights:
© Mr Brian Coomber. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
I
List Entry Number:
1353763
Date first listed:
12-Oct-1954
List Entry Name:
The Parish Church of St Mary
Statutory Address 1:
THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY, CHURCH LANE

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY, CHURCH LANE

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:
West Sussex
District:
Adur (District Authority)
Parish:
Sompting
National Park:
South Downs
National Grid Reference:
TQ 16145 05635

Details

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 08/01/2013


TQ 10 NE
2/27
12.10.54


SOMPTING
CHURCH LANE
The Parish Church of St
Mary


I


C11 to C12. Flint with stone slate roof. Chancel, north transept with its own north
aisle, south transept with baptistry to the north of it, nave, west tower and ruins of
a chapel at the north west end of the nave. Tower entirely early Cll and the only
English example of a Saxon tower with a four-sided shingled roof or 'Rhenish helm'.
The remainder of the church is late C12 with late C15 or early C16 windows. The north
west chapel was built by the Knights Templar after 1154 as a separate chapel from the
church and was opened up into the church by the Knights Hospitallers in the C14. It
fell into ruins soon after the dissolution of that order in 1538. The church contains
some importent examples of Saxon sculpture. References Anglo Saxon Architecture H M
and J Taylor Vol II 558-62 Cambridge 1965. English Historic Carpentary pps 14-21
C A Hewett, Phillimore 1980.


Listing NGR: TQ1614705637

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:
297334
Legacy System:
LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Taylor, H M, J, , Anglo Saxon Architecture, (1965), 558-562
Hewett, C A, English Historic Carpentry, (1980), 14-21

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of The Parish Church of St Mary

Map

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End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

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