St Teresa of Avila Church, Chiddingfold

St Teresa of Avila Church stands in the centre of Chiddingfold village, on the corner of Petworth Road and Woodside Road. It sits next to the cricket green of the local cricket club, a quiet green space in the heart of the village. The church was designed by Henry Bingham Towner and completed in 1959. English Heritage recognised its importance to the townscape, calling it the best of Towner’s churches they had seen. It replaced an earlier building on the same site but occupies exactly the same footprint. The church is not officially listed but makes a clear contribution to the village’s character.

The church is built in the shape of a cross, with a central aisle running down the nave. The sanctuary at the far end is semi-circular, and the ceiling is open, without any division between nave, transepts and sanctuary. The south transept has a porch on one side and a small chapel on the other, while the north transept connects to the vestry. The walls are of stone and the roof is covered in slate, giving the building a solid, traditional appearance. Inside, the space feels open and uncluttered, with no barriers between different parts of the church.

Outside, the church blends quietly with the surrounding village. It is part of a larger parish that includes churches in Haslemere and Hindhead, all served by the same parish priest. The priest also travels to Holy Cross Hospital in Haslemere to say Mass. The church’s design and location reflect its role as a place of worship and community in a small Surrey village. Visitors find a calm and welcoming interior, with simple stone walls and a slate roof that give it a timeless quality. The building stands as a modest but important part of Chiddingfold’s centre.