In around 1175 Hugh Esturmy was given permission by the Bishop of Chichester John of Greenford and the Prebendary of Wightring to build a chapel in Itchenor.

Between 1180 and 1197 Bishop Seffrid II allowed the chapel to be converted into a little parish church with its own graveyard.

[1] The annals of the village indicate that string or wind instruments would have been used to accompany the singing prior to 1862.

From 1862 church music at St. Nicholas developed: a harmonium was purchased in 1870 to take place of the string and wind instruments, and in 1922 a small pipe organ was acquired.

In 1956 the building of a vestry forced the ageing 34 year-old pipe organ to be moved.