Patching village sits just above a gap in the South Downs, north west of Worthing, and above the…read moreglorious sweep of road known as 'Longfurlong', now part of the A280. The village has some picture-postcard thatched cottages, and a mediaeval church, dedicated to St John. History The village and church are first mentioned in the Saxon period in 948AD, and again in the Domesday survey, but the present building dates from around 1200. There is an unbroken list of Vicars from 1282 to the present day. The sequence of building in the church presents something of a mystery, as the fine arches beneath the tower (and the odd orientation of the nave) suggest that this may have been intended as the original crossing. The church was renovated in 1835, 1856 and especially in 1889, when the spire, porch and vestry were added, as well as its rededication to St John the Divine. The Church From the outside, the church is typical Sussex: flint walls, stone dressings and a tall, shingled spire, and Early English Gothic lancet windows throughout. Inside, the nave is wide and barn-like, with a magnificent, original roof. But what catches the eye is that the chancel arch of off-centre, with the nave apparently pushed to the left. Just before the chancel arch to the left is an archway to what is now the north transept, but is actually beneath the tower, and there are also arches to the east and west, all with shafts in classic 13th century style. The chancel is entered through an impressive Victorian screen, and has two lancets in the East End with a small Oriel window above, and a fine piscina with stiff-leaf capitals. The carved reredos is a modern addition. Furnishings include a very fine octagonal 15th century font, with quatrefoil panels enclosing rosettes, and a 19th century pulpit incorporating 16th century arabesque panels. On the floor beneath the tower is a fine 18th century memorial, to Mary (d. 1737) and Robert Bushby (1739). Their epitaphs read: Here Lyes beneath A Lass deprived of Life A tender Mother And a Loveing wife A faithfull friend A Father dear A loveing husband That lyeth here The modern parish includes the nearby church of Clapham and the larger church of Findon, up the Longfurlong road. The church is a Grade I listed building.

This is part of the church but has many different activities available including playgroups…read more They have a cafe with low prices which mean that if you are on a budget you can get a good deal on something to eat. There are computers available for internet access and a lending library of books. Midwives arrange appointments here. I love this place it's a little community place to take little ones.

St Andrew's is an impressive neo-Gothic Victorian church just south of Worthing station…read more The church was built by the well-known Victorian church architect Sir Arthur Blomfield in 1887-88, executed in the Early English Gothic style, of flint with stone dressings throughout. The chancel has a noteworthy screen and carved wooden reredos, as well as an impressive set of stained glass windows by Kempe. The adjacent hall and original vicarage are co-located and form an impressively uniform architectural grouping. Services are in the Anglo-Catholic tradition.

Spent my boyhood as a choirboy here when Fr. Meade was Priest. I always felt it was a beautiful…read morebuilding although some might think it is quite sombre by todays' type of building.

Never can such an unprepossessing exterior have hidden such a gem. From the outside, St Mary's…read morelooks like you average, run-of-the-mill neo-gothic Victorian church. It doesn't even look that large, and has the added humiliation of a public lavatory attached on one side. But once inside, you turn and find yourself in a cathedral-like space: a huge nave, an even larger crossing and a spectacular chancel and sanctuary. This is architecture as drama, writ large. St Mary's has had an interesting history: opened in 1827 to cater for the burgeoning suburbs of east Brighton, the original church was a rather handsome neo-classical building, modelled on the temple of Nemesis in Athens. Alas, like many Regency buildings, it was badly built, and partially collapsed during building work in 1876. The architect commissioned to design its replacement was William Emerson, known mostly for his work in India. St Mary's is his only church in the UK, and he chose the decorated gothic style for his new creation, albeit one with other elements: the aisle arches are round-headed and groups of Early-English lancets proliferate - all in red brick, with Bath stone detailing. The arcades rise to Corinthian capitals, both in the nave and in the apse of the sanctuary. Cleverly, Emerson made full use of the changes in levels, first down from the entrance and baptistery into the nave, and then back up again into the sanctuary, to emphasise the height. (The nave is 40ft across and 60ft high.) The only element not completed was the tower, which was abandoned for lack of funds, although early drawings show what was intended. The church has a wide array of Victorian stained glass, including an example by Kempe, although other workshops predominate. (The web-site has excellent pictures of all the glass). The furnishings are also of high quality, including a carved pulpit of Caen stone, and a marble font, which stands on a plinth of granite from the Schreckhorn mountain in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland. This commemorates the second Vicar, Julius Elliott: an accomplished rock climber, he was the second to ascend the North Face of the Matterhorn, but died in 1869 after an apparently successful ascent of the Schreckhorn, at the age of 28. The other notable feature is its organ, which is known for its tonal quality, enhanced by the excellent acoustics of the church. The only downside to all this grandeur is that to-day's rather smaller congregation struggles to resource the scale of maintenance required of such a huge building. It needs generous visitors.

There's not much to add to Templar's comprehensive review: still regarded by many as one of the…read moremost important centres in the Anglo-Jewish community, the Bevis Marks Synagogue is beautifully maintained. It is strongly reminiscent of the Wren and Hawksmoor churches of the City in its classical architecture and furnishings, which include impressive brass candelabra and 17th century wooden benches. The Synagogue's tradition is Orthodox, so men and women are separated: men on the ground floor, women in the galleries. Their opening hours (for visits) are slightly longer than advertised on their website, so it's worth contacting them ahead of a trip to London if you want to pay a call. Tourists (as opposed to those attending services) are asked to pay £3 for entry, and men are asked to wear a skull cap - one will be provided if you don't have one. Your bags may also be searched. They sell a small range of postcards and books at the entrance.

Situated in a secluded courtyard, the Bevis Marks Synagogue was opened in 1701 to serve the Spanish…read more& Portuguese Jewish Congregation. Today it is one of the best-preserved houses of worship of its period still in regular use. The Inquisition, revived by Ferdinand and Isabella, turned its attention to these crypto-Jews, and from the last years of the fifteenth century, they: were systematically persecuted, arrested, tortured, tried, and burnt at the stake. From about this time there was a constant exodus of 'Marranos' who succeeded in escaping from Spain and Portugal or its dependencies to avoid persecution and a small number of them reached Protestant England. Outwardly, they were obliged to behave as Christians, for at that time Jews were not allowed officially, to enter the country, but at any rate they could live there, provided that they behaved with circumspection, and could meet in secret in each others' houses for prayer. The first Jewish house of worship of the resettlement of the Jews in England was as opened in 1656 in the upper floor of a house in Creechurch Lane, which is but a stone's throw from the present Synagogue in Bevis Marks The site of this house is today marked by a plaque, on the rear corner of Cunard House in Creechurch Lane. Jews were permitted to return to Britain in 1657 under Oliver Cromwell. They felt that the time was opportune to present a petition in the form of a humble address to Oliver Cromwell asking for the official re?admittance of the Jews to England Their decision was no doubt a wise one, as Cromwell, reared in a Puritanical atmosphere with its emphasis on the Old Testament was likely to hear favourably any petition presented by the 'people of the Old Testament'. Some of the most eminent figures of Anglo-Jewry sat at prayer in the Synagogue such as Sir Moses Montefiore. Disraeli was born into the Congregation and there are links to the Rothschilds. Today it is regarded as the most distinguished British Synagogue. The magnificent wooden Ark or cupboard) resembling a reredos, at the east end, is built in classical architecture in the manner of Sir Christopher Wren's time. It contains (as is the custom in Jewish synagogues') the sacred scrolls of' the Pentateuch, or five books of Moses, written in Hebrew on parchment, which are read in consecutive instalment over the period of a year as the central feature of the Sabbath Service. Several splendid seventeenth century vestments and silver ornaments belonging to the scrolls survive. The entablature of the Ark has as its central feature the Ten Commandments written in Hebrew (abbreviated), above which are inscribed in Hebrew the words 'Know before Whom thou standest'. The silver hanging Sanctuary Lamp, burning perpetually before the Ark, was presented by Edward Foligno in 1876 and evidently replaces an earlier example, now lost. Except for the addition of the doors to the Banca or Wardens' pews and to the Haham's or Chief Rabbi's seat in 1787, and of the choirstalls in about 1830, the ancient synagogue has remained virtually unchanged. Electric light was installed in 1929 Even though recently restored, the interior has barely changed since it was built. It is in the style of many Nonconformist chapels of the period. The influence of Sir Christopher wren is also evident. The Synagogue has one of the finest collections of Cromwellian and Queen Anne furniture in the country and the magnificent brass candelabra with glowing candlelight. On 19th December 1951 the Congregation held a Service to celebrate the 250th anniversary, of the opening of the Synagogue which was attended by the Duke of Edinburgh. On 22nd March 1956 British Jewry held a Service of dedication and thanksgiving at the Synagogue on the tercentenary of the resettlement of the Jews in the British Isles. Twelve pillars, symbolising the tribes of Israel, support the ladies' gallery, the reading desk and Echal are flanked by 10 candlesticks representing the Ten Commandments; and the interior is dominated by seven magnificent candelabra, corresponding to the days of the week. One of the great oak beams supporting the roof is said to have been presented by Princess (later Queen) Anne. In 1992 and 1993 the synagogue suffered great damage from terrorist bomb attacks on the City of London. Nearly £200,000, raised by donation, has since been spent in repairing and renovating the structure

Iford is a small village in the Ouse Valley near Lewes, consisting of a single lane which loops off…read morethe Lewes to Newhaven road. Half way around is the surprisingly large and complex church of St Nicholas, dominated by an imposing central pyramidal tower. Built just after the Norman Conquest, the nave and central tower date from around 1090, with the current chancel built slightly later, perhaps around 1100. In the late 12th century, a north aisle was added but subsequently removed, and the remains of the three-arched arcade can be seen inside and out. Around the same time, the pyramidal tower cap was added and, in the 13th century, a little north chapel off the chancel, which now serves as a vestry. The interior is dark and atmospheric. It is dominated by the tall, Norman chancel arch, decorated with a roll and chevron motif, although the capitals are part of a Victorian restoration. The arches under the tower are all plain. The tower above contains three bells dated 1426, dedicated to Saints Margaret, Katherine and Botolph. A low, wide arch in the chancel leads to the former north chapel, and has a corbel in the form of a head at the east end: the chancel itself has an unusual arrangement of three, round-headed arches under a single oculus window at the East end. At the west end is the font, from around 1200, lit by a single lancet above the original (and now blocked) west door of the first church.

This is a wonderful parish with a lively and friendly community. Our priest Father Marcin Drabik is…read morevery warm and down to earth as well as being very charismatic. I love their website which is really information www.stswithuns.org.uk

Twineham occupies an idyllic spot in the Sussex Weald. Although just a few miles west of the busy…read moreA23 dual-carriageway from London to Brighton, this feels like typical rural England, with its lush pasture, hedges thick with mature trees, scattered villages and winding lanes. It is believed that the name 'Twineham' is early English in origin, meaning 'the homestead between the streams'. The church sits at the end of a small lane off the minor road which forms of village of Twineham, in a pretty, wooded churchyard, next to the village primary school. On my visit, the churchyard was idyllic - full of bluebells and other spring flowers, and warmed by the early evening sun. But St Peter's Twineham's is more than just your average village church. It unusually survived mediaeval rebuilding in stone, but when it was rebuilt in the 1516, early in Henry VIII's reign, the new church was built in the very latest building material brick. It is thus one of the oldest brick churches in the country, as well as being one of the last Parish Churches to be completely rebuilt prior to the reformation. Part of its churchyard was also used by Quakers for their burials, between 1694 and 1732 an unusual compromise, as dissenters often faced opposition and persecution. The church is conventional in plan, with a west tower, nave, chancel and porch, and small, narrow window openings. The old brickwork and mortar of the walls has weathered into a beautiful patina over the years, and the roofs are covered with heavy brown 'Horsham slate' stone tiles. The tower has a spire with wooden shingles a Sussex specialty. A sturdy half-timbered porch completes the picture, which contains the remains of some old wooden memorials. Inside, the interior is clean and whitewashed. The walls are nearly two feet thick, and the windows have wide, splayed openings. A shallow Tudor pointed arch separates nave and chancel, but what catches the eye is the picture above the chancel arch of the Holy Family. Once thought to have been by the Italian master Camillo Procaccini, its provenance is now less clear. Below it, there is beautiful Elizabethan woodwork of the Squire's Pew at the front, delicately moulded with classical arched and lozenge motifs, and an impressive Jacobean pulpit. The east window is said to be by Kempe, but is unsigned. The chancel roof may contain timbers from the original church, but this cannot be proven. The hexagonal font is older than the present building, and may date back to the earliest recorded church in 1226. Marks show where there were once staples to lock the Holy Water in the font to stop it being used for superstitious purposes. Under the tower, the ringing gallery can be seen from the nave the church has a peal of 5 bells. There is also a list of Parish priests and Vicars from 1287 until the present day. The church is the centre of an active parish life details on the parish website.

As well as being one of the prettiest churches in Sussex, St James's church in Ashurst is also one…read moreof the most unusual and complex. It makes a fascinating challenge for students of architecture to 'read', and is a grade I listed building. Situated in the Adur Valley, 3 miles north of Steyning, Ashurst is a small scattered village, set in a thickly wooded landscape. The church is on a small lane, half a mile beyond the village, and almost disappears into the woodland. The first impression of the church is of its massive, squat tower, capped by a shingle spire, with thick-set buttresses. There is an attractive wooden porch with a red-tiled roof, and heavy Horsham slate covers what appears to be the nave. But from the north, a more complex (but still attractive) pattern appears: a jumble of roofs of different heights, with a lean-to and a tile-hung end wall. Inside, things are no easier, but the dominant feature is a huge, single king-post roof covering both nave and south aisle, springing from the arcade. The nave is actually to the north; the lean-to is a small western extension, with a low roof with heavy beams. A Norman doorway with a simple rounded arch pierces the north wall. The chancel is more conventional, and the same size as the nave. The south aisle is wider than both, and at the west end merges with the tower, and at the east end forms what must have been a small chapel, now the home of the organ. An arcade separates nave and chancel: the western arch is rounded, the other three arches pointed, the whole sitting on sturdy round columns with square bases. Some of the capitals have early stiff-leaf decoration. You can be forgiven for being confused, but what seems to have happened is this: a nave was built in the early 12th century, and some time around 1180-1200 the larger south aisle was built, and possibly the tower and lean-to also, and the whole covered by the huge king-post roof. The Chancel itself seems to have been rebuilt in the 13th century, but there is no arch between nave and chancel, just a heavy beam, with quatrefoil decoration. The arch at the east end of the aisle is apparently Victorian. The west windows are both Early English lancets, and those in the chancel are 13th Decorated, with trefoil heads. There are some furnishings of note: a lovely marble font of 13th century date, with a delicate arcade pattern on one side; a 'vamping horn' an early kind of megaphone hangs on one wall; dated 1770, it is actually a replica. This may have used by the choir during services to 'beef up' the tenor or bass line. There are also a number of memorials, dating from the 17th century, including one outside on the east wall, to a former Rector. A more modern memorial records the gift of the Choir Vestry in memory of the actor Laurence Olivier: he lived in Ashurst, and his funeral service was conducted here in 1989. The whole effect is a most attractive and intimate jumble, dominated by the arcade and roof. The church is still actively used for worship, and has a loyal congregation. I think it is one of the nicest churches I have visited in a long time.

This lovely church in Soho Square was once the home of…read moreCasanova's lover Mrs Cornelys & their daughter was conceived here when it was once one of the most fashionable addresses in London. Now it holds magnificent services. I went to the funeral of Pearl here, wife of John Bermiston, a publican in nearby Fitzrovia's Northumberland Arms

As a temporary resident of London (student abroad) who was looking for a church to go to Mass…read moreduring my period of stay, I am very happy to having found this church. It's ambiance is respectful but not overly so (in the sense that no one will seem to want to criticize you if you just so happen to drop your jacket/book during Mass). There were a variety of types of people during my time there, and everywhere I looked, I was greeted with a smile. The music was all very pleasant, especially due to the fantastic acoustics of the stone walled church! Overall, if I were to ever find myself in London again on a Sunday, I'll be making my way here.