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 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.
Maximum capacity seated = 150.
Accessible for those with reduced mobility – there is a lift.
Catering facilities in the nearby Saint Blaise Centre. The Church and SBC are licensed for the sale of alcohol.
There’s a good upright piano, which is well maintained.
There’s a license to play live or recorded church music.
