[2] It ran for about 3 miles (5 km) from its northern extremity at Bost Hill, on the track to Findon (now the A24 road), to the English Channel coast in the south, and was much narrower apart from a thin strip of land extending westwards.

[2][3][4] Many coastal parishes in Sussex were this shape: many different soils and varieties of land would be included within the boundaries, from chalky downland in the north to marshy grassland near the coast.

He had been barred from his own palace there by King Henry III, who had been angered by the election of Richard as bishop in place of Robert Passelewe.

While he was based at the church, Richard travelled throughout Sussex, taking services and reputedly performing miracles; he was canonised in 1262.

Their tithes were combined, and they were administered for ecclesiastical purposes by the incumbents of St Andrew's:[2][7] for example, burials and baptisms were carried out at West Tarring.

By 1680 both were in such poor condition that their parishioners were allowed to travel to worship at St Andrew's instead, and services were no longer held at Durrington or Heene.

[20] In 1885 mosaics designed by the Gothic Revival architect William Butterfield were installed by Italian craftsmen in the aisles and around the tower arch.

[23][24] The font was replaced with a Victorian one: the main section of its medieval predecessor was removed and taken to Australia by the Henty family when they emigrated.

[2][23] The Hentys were successful farmers, especially of merino sheep, and lived in one of West Tarring's largest houses.

Eventually the whole family moved to Australia: the pioneers settled in Tasmania, while Edward Henty, another son, became the first settler in Victoria and was instrumental in developing the sheep-rearing industry there.

[28] One of the leading smugglers at that time, William Cowerson, was employed at St Andrew's Church on restoration work; he regularly used the table tombs in the churchyard to store smuggled alcohol and other contraband.

[2][8][11] Paul Chapman of Hove-based stained glass designers Cox & Barnard made windows for the west ends of the north and south aisles.

The mosaic decoration, depicting the Twelve Apostles, runs between and above them, and extends to the tower arch with its octagonal columns.

[23] The most famous man associated with St Andrew's Church, John Selden,[32] was baptised here in 1584[1][33] and has a memorial and a plaque.