[4] Inside the church, the main features of interest are the 11th-century chancel arch, the remnants of a 13th-century wall painting and the 12th-century font.

[6] The village war memorial is situated alongside the southern gate into the churchyard from Sunwool Lane, close to where this crosses Costers Brook, in the area known locally as "Bumble Kite".

The memorial was originally erected in 1920 in the garden of the headteacher's house attached to the school on the corner of Mill Lane and was moved to its present location in 1959.

[7] The Domesday Book, completed in 1086, records the village of Cocking as "Cochinges" and describes it as having a church and five mills.

[8][9] At this time, the village was held by Robert, son of Tetbald, who had been appointed Sheriff of Arundel and Lord of the Honour of Petworth by Earl Roger de Montgomery.

[13] In 1199, the ownership of the parish was the subject of a claim against the Abbey by Brian Fitzralph, and his wife, Gunnor on the grounds that it had been taken from her great-grandfather, Alan.

[14] In 1234, Ralph Neville, Bishop of Chichester agreed with the Abbot of Séez to appropriate the church at Cocking to the Priory of St Nicholas at Arundel on condition that the Arundel monks should pay twenty shillings per annum to the Vicar of Cocking, in addition to the tithes etc.

[21] In 2013, the former church at West Lavington was offered for sale, although the graveyard will continue to belong to the parish with public access.

[25] The south aisle and Lady Chapel were added about 1300 during the Decorated Gothic period; at the same time, the chancel windows were enlarged and the tower was built.

Drummond Ash was responsible for the building of the north aisle;[26] this was the work of renowned church architect, William Slater.

Henry Randall extended the north aisle to include the vestry; at the same time, the chancel was partially rebuilt and restored, with the stonework of earlier windows being exposed.

In addition, the exterior of the chancel was refaced in ashlar[29] and the west window on the south aisle was altered.

[3][31] Pevsner describes the church as having a "humble 14th-century tower, roughcast, with a pyramidal cap; the rest from the outside looks all 19th century".

[33] On the highest stage, there are two-light bell-openings with pointed trefoil heads on the south, west, and north sides, with a plain square window on the east.

[33] The north aisle, dressed with knapped flint, dates from the 1865 extensions, other than the eastern end which was extended in 1896 to accommodate the vestry.

[33] The drawing also shows that there was a smaller two-light window high in the north-west corner,[34] which was connected to a gallery at the western end of the church.

At the western end is the Lady chapel with a small altar table, which is used for quiet prayer and contemplation.

[33] On the south wall, to the right of the altar are the aumbry, behind a wooden door in a square stone opening, and a triangle-headed piscina; these both date from the construction of the aisle in the early 14th century.

[29] The nave is separated from the south aisle by a two-bay arcade, built into the existing walls in the early 14th century, with a single octagonal pier and wide double-chamfered arches.

[29] On the south side, on what was originally the exterior wall, it has an arched lintel and jambs of two very wide blocks each and no sill.

[29] The north face is widely splayed, with a round head of three long voussoirs; the window is about 3 ft 5 in (1.0 m) high to the springing.

It has 14 small, variously sized voussoirs and has become slightly flattened as a result of subsidence with the jambs not quite vertical.

The original from the 14th century was removed during the repairs to the chancel in 1896 and was stored in the garden of the rectory in Bell Lane.

[27] The new window was set about 2 ft 0 in (0.6 m) higher than the original, to accommodate a reredos (since removed) and is thus unusually high.

[33] On both the north and south walls of the chancel can be seen the remains of the original Norman windows, which were exposed during the 1896 improvements.

At the western end of the south wall of the chancel, there is a second lower window which dates from the 13th century, with a pointed trefoil head and rebated jambs.

This has a large central finial above the inner trefoil-headed arch, with smaller pinnacles at the sides emerging from carved heads.

2) was cast in the bell foundry at Wokingham in 1420 and is inscribed "Sancte Johannis Ora Pro Nobis".

The bell has a broad face, with a cross of four fleur de lys, surmounted by a crown and coin.

2, was cast by Roger Landen of Wokingham in 1448 and is inscribed "Sancte Caterina Ora Pro Nobis".