Church Guide

The civil parish of Westbourne, or Bourne, is on the south-western confines of Sussex, and includes the hamlets of Westbourne, Nutbourne, Prinsted, Aldsworth and Woodmancote. The southern portion was, in 1878, formed into a separate ecclesiastical parish, Southbourne, with church of St. John the Evangelist, consecrated in 1876. In 1957 further areas were detached and the present ecclesiastical parish of Westbourne includes only that place, Woodmancote, Aldsworth and neighbourhood. The incumbent of Westbourne also has charge of a mission room, founded 1892, at Woodmancote. There were medieval chapels at Prinsted, Hermitage and Nutbourne.

The patronage of the Rectory of Westbourne was attached to the manor until 1829, thus belonging formerly to the Earls of Arundel. In recent years the advowson has had different owners. The present patron is the Bishop of Chichester.

II. THE CHURCH’S ORIGIN AND GROWTH

This Parish Church is dedicated to St. John Baptist, and his Beheading, 29th August, is observed as the festival. The church is prominently situated in the ancient township of Westbourne (Plates I and II). The evidence of Domesday Book, 1086, for a Saxon or Norman foundation is inconclusive. In the description of the place given therein, no church is mentioned; though in the adjoining parish, Warblington, Hampshire, then linked with the manor of Westbourne, were two churches, and it is possible that one of these was on the site of Westbourne church, if the boundary between the two parishes then followed a different line.

During the restoration of the church, about 1865, the Rev. John Hanson Sperling claimed ‘that he saw below the present flooring large square bases of early Norman pillars’, on which the later pillars had been built. The irregular spacing of these suggests that there may originally have been a Norman aisleless nave.

The stages in the church’s evolution, of which there is evidence to-day, began in the early 13th century, with a church consisting of nave flanked by north and south aisles, and chancel. In the late 14th century, by the collaboration, it has been surmised, of Richard FitzAlan, 6th Earl of Arundel (c. 1346—1397), and Robert Pubelowe (Rector from 1390-97 and 1399-1415 or later) there were considerable alterations: nave and aisles were extended to the west, new windows inserted in nave and chancel, north and south doors replaced (assuming these usual features already existed), a vestry added to the chancel, and, perhaps, a tower erected in the south-west corner.

Early in the 16th century, again, it seems likely, by inspiration of an Earl of Arundel (William FitzAlan, 11th Earl of Arundel, c. 1476-1543/4), occurred a further transformation; the tower was built or acquired its present form, the nave arcades were re-fashioned, the chancel arch raised and widened to accommodate a new rood loft, and the north porch built.

Published 1992 ISBN 0 9507496 5 6

WESTBOURNE CHURCH GUIDE