Welcome to Boxgrove Priory
The Priory Church is open each day during daylight hours
The lovely old church dedicated to St Mary and to St Blaise, dates from the early twelfth century. From an entry in the Domesday Book we know that Boxgrove had the status of a parish and that a church existed here before the Norman Conquest. All traces of this have been obliterated by the Priory, which is the daughter house of the Abbey of Lessay in Normandy and the ‘grand-daughter’ of the great Benedictine Abbey of Bec Helouin. A more detailed history is available elsewhere on this site.
The Priory Church sits in a delightful village in West Sussex, some 3 miles from the Cathedral City of Chichester and for over 900 years the villagers of Boxgrove have worshipped in this magnificent building. Its glory is still much in evidence in spite of losing the west end of the Priory during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the reign of King Henry VIII.
We hope that you not only enjoy this site but find the opportunity to visit us in person.
Forthcoming Services and Events
Click here for more details and Priory schema
Boxgrove Priory Appeal
Why are we running an Appeal?
Diocese of Chichester
Weddings and baptisms
If you wish to arrange a wedding or a baptism in the Priory you are requested to contact Fr Ian in person after the 1115 Mass on Sunday.
Building up a friendship with God [PDF]
Safeguarding Policy
This Parish adheres to the Diocesan Policy on Safeguarding Children. This may be found by following this link.
The Priory Church of Saint Mary and Saint Blaise is a Registered Charity No 1131214
"It is a magical church full of echoes of French influence along the Sussex coast. Its crossing is a mystery of light and dark and the great chancel is alive with Tudor roses and heraldry. The De La Warr chantry contains beautiful early French motifs from a Book of Hours. These must be some of the best renaissance carvings in any English church. They make Boxgrove very special."
Sir Simon Jenkins
What a Christmas Present! The Target has been reached and the work has begun. On behalf of Fr. Ian, the Churchwardens and the PCC a huge thank you to all those individuals, sponsors and grant awarding bodies that have in any way helped to make this Appeal successful. We have done it; we have raised over £250,000 for the essential works that must be undertaken over the next 6 months. All Faculties (the Church of England's version of planning permission) are in place. Tenders have been submitted and contractors have been appointed. Insurers are "On Risk" and the aisle roof voids have even been checked for bats. Our archaeologist (the one that looked after us so well during the 2009 works) is already at work.
Fr Ian Forrester
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