After a 40 year wait, reordering works begin at Christ Church, Worthing

Christ Church is a grade II* listed church in central Worthing that serves a diverse community.  

There has been a long-standing ambition for reordering of the west end of the church, to create a more flexible open space or narthex in an interior which is densely populated with pews.  This has largely been driven by the desire to provide an area for church and community groups to gather, with the benefit of tea and coffee making facilities and dedicated storage.  Together with earlier alterations within the tower base, the reordering will enhance visual access and encourage even more visitors into the church.

The Christ Church congregation has been joined by those from Holy Trinity Church since it closed in 2011 and recent temporary reordering carried out to accommodate both congregations has proved very successful.  

The current works will include the removal of the pews and pew platforms at the west end and introduction of an insulated suspended floor level with the central aisle.  A bespoke tea point/servery for basic refreshments and a new drainage connection will also be introduced, together with storage cupboards to serve the space.  A small amount of conservation repair will also be undertaken during the project and footings will be introduced to enable future reinstatement of a gallery above.

The reordering works are now beginning, following many years of fund raising, resistance to the closure of the building and completion of a number of enabling projects.  Julian Vallis has been assisting the parish for around 10 years, including developing this scheme.  The hoarding has finally gone up and contractors T Coleborn and Son Ltd are starting to remove the pews.

To read about some of our other ecclesiastical projects, please click here.

If you would like to discuss a new project, please contact us.