List of current places of worship in Chichester District

The ancient city of Chichester, founded in Roman times and always the most populous settlement in the district, has been a centre of Christian worship since 1075, when its cathedral was built.

However, nearby Selsey had its own cathedral 400 years earlier: Saint Wilfrid established an episcopal see there and used it as a base from which to convert Sussex to Christianity.

Otherwise, small towns, villages and hamlets characterise the area; the civil parishes of Midhurst (4,889 residents), Petworth (2,775), Selsey (9,875) and Southbourne (6,001) are the next most populous places.

Bignor, Eartham, Fernhurst, Fishbourne and Graffham are among the villages whose churches were transformed in the mid- to late 19th century.

[25] Gordon Macdonald Hills, who conducted "particularly damaging restorations" at more than 30 Sussex churches,[26] was active at several places in Chichester district, including Birdham, East Lavant, Westhampnett and West Itchenor.

[37] Roman Catholicism was historically stronger in West Sussex than in East Sussex,[4] supported by wealthy landowners such as the Biddulph family of Duncton (who maintained a Mass Centre at their house, Burton Park, from the 17th century)[38] and Charles Willcock Dawes of Petworth, who left £15,000 (£2,190,000 in 2025 pounds))[39] for a church to be built there in his memory in 1896.

[43] In contrast, Protestant Nonconformism in its various forms has fewer adherents than are found in the east of the county, and many Methodist, Baptist and other chapels have been closed.

The sale of several chapels in Chichester city enabled Methodists and United Reformed Church adherents to join forces and open a small red-brick church together in 1982;[44][45] and Baptist worship in the city has a continuous history going back more than 300 years, now maintained in a postwar building in the suburbs.

[30] The former chapel of Graylingwell Hospital in Chichester stood empty until 2010, when a newly formed Anglican church moved in.

Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Sikhism had a lower following in the district than in the country overall: in 2021, 6.73% of people in England were Muslim, 1.81% were Hindu, 0.92% were Sikh, 0.48% were Jewish and 0.46% were Buddhist.

[54] The church at Eartham is in the Arundel and Bognor Deanery;[55] those at Apuldram, Birdham, Boxgrove, Donnington, Earnley, East Lavant, East Wittering, Fishbourne, Hunston, Mid Lavant, North Mundham, Oving, Selsey, Sidlesham, Tangmere, West Itchenor, West Wittering and Westhampnett are in the Chichester Deanery.

[54] Bepton, Camelsdale, Chithurst, Cocking, Didling, Easebourne, Elsted, Fernhurst, Hammer, Heyshott, Iping, Linch (Woodmansgreen), Linchmere, Lodsworth, Midhurst, Milland, Rogate, Selham, South Harting, Stedham, Terwick, Trotton and Woolbeding churches are part of the Midhurst Deanery.

[58] Petworth Deanery covers the churches at Barlavington, Bignor, Burton Park, Bury, Coates, Duncton, Ebernoe, Egdean, Fittleworth, Graffham, Kirdford, Lurgashall, Northchapel, Petworth, Plaistow, Stopham, Sutton, Tillington, Upwaltham, Wisborough Green and Woolavington.

[68] Since September 2007, they have also been part of the South West Sussex United Area—an ecumenical partnership with the Methodist Church.