According to Bede, St Wilfrid, the exiled Bishop of York, c. 680–81 evangelised the South Saxons during his stay there (c.

[2] Wilfrid founded a monastery at Selsey, a former royal estate given to him by King Aethelwealh at the entrance to Pagham Harbour (modern-day Church Norton).

[4] A picture painted by Lambert Barnard, which hangs in Chichester Cathedral, represents the interview between Caedwalla and St Wilfrid.

The location of the old Selsey cathedral is not known for certain, and although some local legends suggest it is under the sea, and that the bell could be heard tolling during rough weather, it is thought unlikely.

[8][b] By the middle of the 19th century the population had drifted away to Sutton (modern day Selsey), largely because of coastal erosion.

The re-erected church consists of two arcades of three bays each between the nave and the aisles, originally built in the late 12th century.

[14][15] The east window is of three trefoil-headed lights with Perpendicular tracery, perhaps late 14th century; the rear-arch may be that of a former lancet triplet.

[10] In the south wall are two pointed-headed niches with chamfered arrises, the eastern is now a credence, the western a piscina; though the style of these suggests a later date than the 13th century the original moulded string-course which runs round the south, east, and north sides of the chancel rises to clear them.

The font, which is made of Purbeck marble, Heron-Allen suggests was of a type that was very common in the south east counties in the 12th century, having shallow bodies with circular basins standing upon a square base and supported by a large central and small angle shafts.