St James the Less Church, Lancing

St James the Less Church stands in North Lancing, the most northerly of three former settlements in an ancient parish now absorbed by the modern town. The building began in the 12th century and was largely rebuilt between 1280 and 1300, giving it a harmonious Early English to Decorated Gothic form. English Heritage recognises its Grade I importance for architecture and history, a status shared by only seven other buildings in Adur district. The church’s flint walls, pebbledashed in places, and ashlar details show the careful craftsmanship of each rebuilding phase. A tall tower was shortened after collapsing in 1618 and topped with a Sussex cap roof, an event recorded on the north wall. Inside, the nave’s king post roof and octagonal pillars remain admired examples of their period. The church’s survival reflects repeated restorations, especially after decay set in during the 17th century. By 1662 it could no longer be used, with birds nesting and the font empty, yet work in the late 18th and 19th centuries revived its structure. In 1827 pews were added and windows altered, and a vestry was built in 1934. Traces of the original Norman building survive at the west end of the nave and the east end of the chancel, while 14th-century fittings include an Easter sepulchre and a 12th-century square font. The south porch still holds the Norman-style doorway with intricate capitals and a hood mould above the stoup. Visitors enter through the south porch with its round-arched doorway or the west door, both retaining Norman detailing. Inside, the three-bay nave with aisles leads to a short tower and lower chancel, lit by one-, two- and three-light windows in Decorated and Perpendicular styles. Stained glass from 1866 fills three windows, and the chancel arch, blind arches and mouldings show fine Gothic work. The parish today covers 2,236 acres from the South Downs to the Adur river, preserving old field boundaries and the railway line as southern limits. Traditional Anglo-Catholic worship continues each Wednesday and Sunday, welcoming all who come.