Present Building

The chief part of the present building was erected in the thirteenth century, probably about 1240, and although there have been alterations and additions it still retains much of the original work.

This includes the west and south walls of the Nave, the east and south walls of the Chancel, the piscina in the south wall, and the roof throughout; the west porch, with its unusual semi-circular rafters, the west and south doors with the dog-tooth mouldings and the fine stone buttress outside the south-east angle of the Nave. The only old windows are those in the south wall of the Chancel. The glass of these is almost flush with the outside wall and is without casements.

An interesting feature is the projecting keystone on the inner side of the doorways, evidently to prevent the doors, when closed, being unlawfully lifted off their hinges. (Note that this does not apply to the south door, which has been re-positioned on the outside of the doorway but the keystone still remains on the inside). A south porch was added in 1838 and a small north transept with a gallery for children was built by the Shudi Broadwood family at about the same time. In 1851 the Chancel was restored and in 1864 a major restoration was carried out under the direction of Henry Woodyer with money raised by the exertions of the then Vicar, the Rev. T. R. O’Fflahertie, aided by the Church societies. It entailed the removal of the west gallery, the transept and the south porch. The south porch was rebuilt, a north aisle, organ chamber and vestry were added, and an arcade of four arches was built to replace the north wall of the Nave and give access to the north aisle; the piscina in the south wall of the Chancel and the aumbry in the north wall, which had been bricked up, were opened out; the wooden pulpit was removed and replaced by a stone one. All of the roofs are laid with Horsham stone slate, typical of many Churches in the area.

The wooden tower rising from the west end of the Nave roof, with its spire of oak shingles, a common feature of Weald Churches, was renewed. It contains a peal of six bells, the oldest being cast in 1593 and inscribed “Omnia Habent Finem”; it was recast by Mears and Stainbank in 1951. The bells were rehung in 1951, and rededicated by the Bishop of Guildford on 5th August 1951.

In 1968 a further extensive restoration of the Church was carried out with substantial help from the Mortimer family. In 2007 the Church was reordered providing a fully functioning kitchen in the old vestry and a modern disabled toilet. A new vestry was constructed at the west end of the north aisle with a unique wooden screen partition. A section of pews in the north aisle were removed to provide a more flexible meeting area.