Architecture
The church is in three distinct parts—Saxon/Norman, late 19th century and mid-20th century—which nevertheless blend together well. As originally built, the church was approximately 35 feet (11 m) long and 16 feet (5 m) wide, rectangular, built of flint rubble with stones and tile fragments recovered from the Roman site, and featuring an altar in the centre. A chancel was then added during the early Norman era, as were two narrow windows in the west wall of the nave which have been preserved in the present structure. The south and west walls are mostly original. The 19th-century rebuilding kept as much of the nave and chancel intact as possible, and added a short weatherborded bell-tower topped with a spire at the west end; a porch on the south side with a gabled roof; three Decorated-style lancet windows; and a barrel vault roof. The bell in the bell-tower was cast in London in 1844.
The changes of 1960–1962 added a larger nave and chancel on the north side. The old and new naves are connected by an arcade with five bays, with the clerestory arrangement above. The new nave has six bays and a gallery with an organ. The interior is mostly rendered. Knapped flintwork and brick and stone dressings were used on the exterior. The interior fittings are fairly austere, and no internal fixtures remain from the ancient church; a 16th-century brass memorial tablet commemorating the Scrase family was taken to St Nicolas Church, Portslade and installed in the south aisle there.
Read more about this topic: St Peter's Church, West Blatchington
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