Littlehampton – All Saints, Wick

The church was built in what was at the time part of the parish of Lyminster, into which the town of Littlehampton expanded in the late C19.  Not until 1973 was the area constituted a separate parish.  All Saints is a typical chapelry of the period, built with an eye to economy (the estimated cost was £1000 (BN 40 p88) though £1400 are said in fact to have been spent (KD 1899)), but leaving no doubt as to its purpose.  The architects were W C Street and H G English (WSRO Par 208/4/2) and the foundation stone is dated 1881.  It is built of brick and flint, with lancets and a bellcote on the east gable of the nave.  The side lancets are contained in wall-arches inside and out (possibly in anticipation of aisles that were never realised) and there is a five-sided apse behind a chancel arch.  As often in modest C19 churches, the scissor-truss roof is the best feature of the interior.

Entry is by means of a four-centred arch to the south of the west end.  This is not part of the original design and may have been added along with the access ramp from the pavement below during alterations to the road outside in the 1980s or 1990s.  

Fittings

Font: Made of brick and flint, c 1966.
Windows: Late C19 transfers on plain glass, imitating stained glass.  Though of no artistic merit, they are a rare survival of such cheap church decorations.

 

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