United Reformed Church

United Reformed Church

Four Centuries of refusing to conform.

Petworth has been a centre of religious Dissent since the 17th century. Dissenters reject both the hierarchical structure of the Church of England and its prescribed forms of worship. Their own communities have been described as ‘ecclesiastical republics’. This chapel was opened in 1855, but its immediate predecessor, built in 1819, can still be seen in East Street and another former chapel, built for a more conservative congregation, can be found in Park Road. The church meeting here continues to play an active part in the life of the town.