St John the Baptist's Church, Westbourne 2.55

The Anglican Church of St John the Baptist, Westbourne is situated in the village of Westbourne, West Sussex. The church is part of the Diocese of Chichester and is dedicated to the beheading of John the Baptist.History and ArchitectureThe Domesday Book published in 1086 includes two churches entered under the Manor of Warblington (which at the time incorporated the Manor of Westbourne) It is possible that one of these either Saxon or Norman foundations was in Westbourne – potential evidence for this might be traced to claims made during the church’s restoration in 1865, where ‘large square bases of early Norman pillars’ were allegedly seen on the site where the present pillars stand. The current church that stands today consists of structures dating back to the early 13th century and other appendages and renovations since then.In the early 13th century, the church included a nave with north and south aisles extending as far west as the present east arch of the tower, and a chancel of the present size. In the late 14th century, the rector and 6th Earl of Arundel carried out considerable alterations. The nave and aisles were extended west, the old west wall being penetrated by three arches, new windows were inserted in the aisles and the chancel and the tower in the south-west corner was potentially erected; following these changes, the church reached its current size. In the early 16th century, the 11th Earl of Arundel refashioned the nave in the existing Gothic perpendicular style, replacing thick pillars and round arches with tall slender pillars and three centered flat arches. The chancel was raised and widened, and the north porch was built – at the same time, the present west tower was built and its predecessor was taken down (the remains of a pier is still visible inside the church on the south wall of the south aisle)