St Mary Our Lady Sidlesham

St Mary Our Lady, Sidlesham
The church originates from c.1300
50°47′04″N 0°47′16″W / 50.784542°N 0.787807°W / 50.784542; -0.787807
Location	Church Farm Lane Sidlesham West Sussex PO20 7RE
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Church of England
Website	http://www.stmary-sidlesham.org.uk
History
Founded	c.1300
Dedication	St Mary Our Lady
Architecture
Status	Parish church
Functional status	Active
Style	Norman
Administration
Parish	Sidlesham
Deanery	Chichester
Archdeaconry	Chichester
Diocese	Chichester
Province	Canterbury
Clergy
Vicar(s)	Fr. Stephen Guise (priest in charge)

St Mary Our Lady, is the Parish church for Sidlesham in West Sussex, England. The church is down a short lane off the Chichester to Selsey road, by some thatched cottages. The current church originates from c.1300, probably on the site of an earlier Saxon Church.

The manor of Sidlesham was conferred by the Saxon monarch Cædwalla on Saint Wilfred, as a portion of his gift to the see of Selsey. Wilfrid had arrived in the then, kingdom of the South Saxons in 681 and remained there for five years evangelising and baptising the people. The manor continued to be held by the Bishops of Selsey until the see was transferred to Chichester in 1075. At the time of the Domesday Book (1086), it was held by the Bishop of Chichester in demesne and assessed at 12 hides. The gift was confirmed by William the Conqueror and the manor remained in church hands until the reign of Elizabeth I. The rectory of Sidlesham was a prebend of Chichester Cathedral and in 1291 it was valued at £30.

It is believed that the current church that was begun in the late 12th century or early 13th century replaced an earlier Saxon church.

The style of the building is early English. As built, the church was cruciform, with a chancel tower, transepts and aisles. It is built of stone rubble with ashlar dressings, the porch is of brick and the roofs are tiled. Originally the Chancel extended beyond the bounds of the existing east wall. There were two Chantry chapels and, possibly, two aisles built in the 14th century. There was also a vestry to the north of the Chapel area. The north chapel and part of the Chancel were allowed to fall into ruin, probably in the early 16th century, but were rebuilt, using much of the original materials, shortly after 1660. During this rebuilding, the east window was moved to the current position, giving the church the unusual T-shape it has now.