Bell 1 of 8
Founded by Harrington, Latham & Co 1889
Dove Bell ID: 62722 Tower ID: 25017 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Worthing: Holy Trinity
Diocese of Chichester
Closed Church, 610144
This church is on the Heritage at Risk Register (verified 2025-11-06)
View more information about this church on the Heritage at Risk website
Overview
Grid reference: TQ 143 25
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
3-stage west tower with spire. Entrance through base of tower from north. Nave with north and south aisles and clerestory (western most bay screened off to form lobby). North transept with organ chamber. Chancel. Octagonal choir vestry (now parish office) in the angle of the north chancel wall and organ chamber. South vestry. Church hall attached to south aisle.
Dimensions:
[Approximate] Nave as is now - 14m (46ft) long x 10m (33ft) wide, aisles - 4m (13ft) wide, chancel - 8m (26ft) long.
Footprint of Church buildings: 622 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
Following the arrival of the railway in 1845, Worthing grew rapidly and expanded towards the west. The Gratwicke Estate, near to Holy Trinity, was developed from 1860. Christ Church became overcrowded and a petition to the Bishop of Chichester was made for the provision of a new church. An ICBS grant was secured and money towards the project was given by the Bishop of Chichester.
The architects were Henry Edward Coe [1825/6–1885] and his partner Stephen Robinson, but completed by Coe alone. Coe was a pupil in George Gilbert Scott's office at the same time as Street. The foundation stone was laid in the west wall in 1882 and the church consecrated in 1883. The tower was not finished until 1888 once sufficient funds had been gathered. In 1894 an octagonal choir vestry (now parish office) was built between the chancel and organ chamber in memory of Revd Lancaster d.1893, the first incumbent (commemorated by a brass plaque in the nave).
A church hall, designed by W J Threasher of Southwick, was built to the south of the church in 1970. Although insulation had been added to the chancel in the 1960s, in 1978-79 work was undertaken to improve the heating and to resolve draughtiness. An architect from the congregation, Kenneth Murrin, devised plans to separate the nave and west bay by inserting a glass and wood (from removed pews) screen to create a lobby. He also designed the insertion of a lower, insulated ceiling with cut-aways to allow light in from the clerestory windows. Although the alterations hide the roof structure and alter the interior space, they maintain an appreciation of the east and west windows. All improvements were complete by 1981.
The church was listed in August 2009 on account of its scale, its historic value, its well-surviving interior and as evidence for the expansion of Worthing.
The archaeological potential of the site is low. The site has tree preservation orders to its north boundary. There are no further known designations relating to the ecology of this urban site.
Exterior Description
Holy Trinity is a red brick Victorian church with stone sills and kneelers, built in an Early English style with lancet windows. It has a varied and playful roofline. North and south aisles have separate roofs to the nave and 2-tier buttresses situated at the bay divisions. Continuous moulded brick hoods to aisle and clerestory single lancet windows in addition to continuous projecting brick string course at sill height to aisles. Brick modillion cornice around aisles and nave wall plates.
In the north-west corner a 3-stage square tower with 8-sided shingle clad spire. Clock faces on north and west sides and louvred bell tower openings. The upper stage is octagonal and has stone spirelets at each corner.
To the north a gabled north transept with crested ridge tiles. A single spirelet in the style of those on the tower located above. To its north-east side the octagonal choir vestry (now parish office) with polygonal roof. Stone finials surmount east and west gable ends and the vestry roof. In addition there is a gabled porch at the east end of the north aisle, adjacent to the door into the north transept.
Building Fabric and Features
Tower (component)
19th century 3-stage west tower
Spire
19th century
Nave
19th century
Aisle
19th century north
Aisle
19th century south
Clerestory
19th century
Organ (component)
19th century chamber in north transept
Transept
19th century with organ chamber
Chancel
19th century
Vestry
19th century north octagonal choir vestry now parish office
Vestry
19th century south vestry
Church Hall
19th century attached to south aisle
Building Materials
Brick
19th century red
Stone
19th century dressings
Clay
19th century plain roof tiles
Cedar
19th century shingles to spire
Interior
Interior Description
The main entrance to the interior is via the north door in the base of the tower, though there are other points of entry. Here, beneath a shallow gable, pointed-arched double oak doors open into a tower lobby where inside another set of double oak doors is reached before a set of glazed doors opens into the west end. 4 tall lancet windows in the west wall above 5 small lancets all with stained glass. This westernmost bay is divided from the nave by an inserted glazed wood screen and the pews have been cleared. Yellow bricks have been used to block north and south aisles from the space. The glazing maintains views along the length of the church.
Stone nave arcade columns with clustered shafts and carved capitals carry pointed brick arches. Throughout the nave (and west end) a suspended ceiling has been inserted so as to ensure that light from the clerestory windows can still permeate the interior. Although the roof structure is hidden it is reported to consist of braced and double collar roof trusses on stone corbels (evident below the inserted ceiling).
The nave floor is paved with red and black quarry tiles and is covered by red carpet in the aisles with iron grates either side. Original fixed pine pews with umbrella stands and numbers located on raised timber pew platforms either side of the aisles. Original suspended iron light fittings. A door in the south-east corner leads to the attached hall. At the east end of the north aisle a passage behind the organ leads to the parish office.
The chancel arch has been obscured by the inserted ceiling, though photographs pre-dating 1970 show that a banner of text decorated the nave side of the chancel arch (unconfirmed if this survives). The chancel is raised by two steps. The floor is paved in decorative encaustic tiles. Choir stalls are positioned to north and south sides. The roof structure is of scissor beam trusses. Marble steps rise to the sanctuary and altar table. The east wall is curtained beneath the windows whilst the bricks above are painted white.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
20th century oak table in Jacobean style to match pulpit, 1943 by Edward Pite
Reredos
19th century fine alabaster, 1887
Pulpit
17th century Mid 17th-century oak pulpit with egg and dart moulding, relocated from St Mary's Broadwater via St George's, Worthing in 1868. Base built up and restored. Relocated here by 1883.
Lectern
19th century brass eagle c 1886 - a gift
Font (component)
19th century Leadlined Caen stone font with quatrefoil shaped bowl on clustered columns, c.1883, with wood cover. Relocated from west end.
Rail
19th century oak rails on decorative wrought iron supports
Stained Glass
19th / 20th century • East window, 1890 by Clayton and Bell; • West window - 5-lights in Mondrian-esque style, 1969 by W J Threasher above 5 lancets depicting baptismal themes, c.1913. • 3 north and 1 south aisle windows, all in memory of individuals, dating between 1891 and 1924. That in the north-west depicts The Good Shepherd, c.1905 Clayton and Bell
Organ (component)
19th century 2 manual pipe organ by Forster and Andrews 1884
Bells
Bell 2 of 8
Founded by Harrington, Latham & Co 1889
Dove Bell ID: 62723 Tower ID: 25017 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Bell 3 of 8
Founded by Harrington, Latham & Co 1889
Dove Bell ID: 62724 Tower ID: 25017 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Bell 4 of 8
Founded by Harrington, Latham & Co 1889
Dove Bell ID: 62725 Tower ID: 25017 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Bell 5 of 8
Founded by Harrington, Latham & Co 1889
Dove Bell ID: 62726 Tower ID: 25017 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Bell 6 of 8
Founded by Harrington, Latham & Co 1889
Dove Bell ID: 62727 Tower ID: 25017 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Bell 7 of 8
Founded by Harrington, Latham & Co 1889
Dove Bell ID: 62728 Tower ID: 25017 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Bell 8 of 8
Founded by Harrington, Latham & Co 1889
Dove Bell ID: 62729 Tower ID: 25017 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Portable Furnishings and Artworks
Registers dating from 1883/4.
Churchyard
Grid reference: TQ 143 25
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Sources
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