St Mary de Haura Church, Shoreham-by-Sea

St Mary de Haura Church stands in the old heart of Shoreham-by-Sea, a town built on the Adur estuary in West Sussex. It began as a grand cruciform church in the late 11th century when New Shoreham was a busy port. The present building is only the surviving east section of that larger church, though it still fills the town-centre role. English Heritage has recognised its Grade I importance for architecture and history. The church serves as Shoreham’s main parish church for major events and daily worship. The church’s story reflects the rise and fall of the port. Founded by William de Braose or his son Philip soon after the Domesday survey, it grew with royal support under King John in the early 13th century. By 1225 the church had reached its greatest size, with a tower, nave, quire and aisles. Later centuries brought decline as the harbour silted up and trade routes shifted. A storm around 1700 brought down the nave, leaving the quire to become the new nave and chancel. Inside, the church mixes early 12th-century work with later changes. The tower, with its paired two-light and three-light openings, has clocks on each face and scalloped capitals inside. The former quire now forms a spacious nave and chancel under a four-celled rib vault. Alternating octagonal and round columns line the north aisle, showing Norman craftsmanship. The south transept became a war memorial after the Second World War. The pale stone walls and Horsham slate roof give the interior a calm, dignified light.