St Catherine of Siena Church, Cocking

It is not known if the church had any dedication prior to the twenty-first century.[30] In April 2007, the congregation agreed to dedicate the church to St Catherine of Siena, whose name is engraved on one of the church bells.[3][31]

The south aisle dates from the early 14th century. At the western end is the Lady chapel with a small altar table, which is used for quiet prayer and contemplation.[25] Behind the altar table is the east window; this has two lights with pointed trefoil heads and a diamond-shaped quatrefoil light at the top; the interior splays of the window have shallow cinquefoil-headed niches.[33]

On the south wall, to the right of the altar are the aumbry, behind a wooden door in a square stone opening, and a triangle-headed piscina; these both date from the construction of the aisle in the early 14th century.[33] The aumbry was used to store chalices and other vessels, as well as for the reserved sacrament, while the piscina was used for washing the communion vessels.

The south window has two trefoil-headed lights, under a square head. The south doorway is from the 19th century, with a pointed arch. The west window was altered in 1865 and also has two trefoil-headed lights, under a quatrefoil.[33]

The font is situated in the south aisle to the west of the south door. This is a plain, tub font with slightly bowed sides, resembling a chalice. It has a cylindrical stem and base, standing on two square plinths. The rim is chamfered and has slight damage.[35]

Pevsner dates the font to the 12th century[32] although the base is a later medieval addition.[33] The church's own guide claims that the font is Saxon and came from the earlier Saxon church.[26][30]

The nave is 30 ft 11 in (9.4 m) long by 18 ft 5 in (5.6 m) wide at the east end and 18 ft 0 in (5.5 m) at the west.[29]

Remnants of 13th-century paintings

The nave is separated from the south aisle by a two-bay arcade, built into the existing walls in the early 14th century, with a single octagonal pier and wide double-chamfered arches.[27] The pier has a square base and an "undersized"[27] moulded impost and is slightly higher than the responds, which are square, with the arches "dying away" into them at a low level.[27][33]

Above the western arch is the remains of an 11th-century window.[27] This had been blocked off when the south aisle and arches were constructed in the early 14th century and was restored in 1896.[29] On the south side, on what was originally the exterior wall, it has an arched lintel and jambs of two very wide blocks each and no sill. The aperture is about 9 in (0.2 m) wide and 2 ft 0 in (0.6 m) high.[29] The north face is widely splayed, with a round head of three long voussoirs; the window is about 3 ft 5 in (1.0 m) high to the springing.[29] On the eastern splay of the window are remnants of a wall painting, which have been dated to 1220.[17][26] The painting is part of the Christmas story and shows the shepherds with a dog looking up to the Star of Bethlehem. Above them are the arms of an angel pointing to the star and holding a palm branch.[26]

The nave is separated from the north aisle by a three-bay arcade, built in 1865. The two piers are octagonal as are the responds, and being closer together than those on the south side, the arches have a much more pronounced point.[33]

The western door to the nave, which now permits entry to the tower, is probably the original west door of the church.[27] It has a plain pointed head within a semi-elliptic archway.[33]

The nave roof is mostly modern although the three tie-beams are older, possibly 11th- or 12th-century.[29] The westernmost tie-beam may once have supported a bell-cote before the tower was built in the early 14th century.[27][33]

The chancel is 15 ft 0 in (4.6 m) long and 14 ft 0 in (4.3 m) wide.[29]

The chancel arch dates to the 11th century and is the oldest part of the church still visible.[1] The head is of two rings, with plaster or rubble filling. It has 14 small, variously sized voussoirs and has become slightly flattened as a result of subsidence with the jambs not quite vertical.[36] The jambs are square-cut, each having five upright and flat slabs of similar heights, two per course. At the top of each upright, there is a 7 in (0.2 m) plain chamfered impost. The arch is 6 ft 6 in (2.0 m) to the imposts; it is 8 ft 6 in (2.6 m) wide and11 ft 4 in (3.5 m) to the crown. The jambs are 2 ft 5 in (0.7 m) thick.[36]

The chancel was separated from the nave by a rood screen[37] but this has now been removed.[33]

Behind the altar is the east window of the church. The original from the 14th century was removed during the repairs to the chancel in 1896 and was stored in the garden of the rectory in Bell Lane.[27] The new window was set about 2 ft 0 in (0.6 m) higher than the original, to accommodate a reredos (since removed) and is thus unusually high.[27] The present window has three trefoil-headed lights under a pointed arch.[33]

The memorial window to Revd. Ash

On both the north and south walls of the chancel can be seen the remains of the original Norman windows, which were exposed during the 1896 improvements. In each case, three of the western jamb stones and two voussoirs are now visible.[36] The present chancel windows are slightly to the west of the originals and are 14th-century single light windows with ogee trefoil heads.[33]

At the western end of the south wall of the chancel, there is a second lower window which dates from the 13th century, with a pointed trefoil head and rebated jambs.[33] This contains the only stained glass in the church, the work of James Powell,[38] installed in 1896 to commemorate Revd. Richard Drummond Ash. The image represents Richard de Wych who was Bishop of Chichester from 1244 to 1253, although the face is that of Richard Durnford, the Bishop of the Diocese who had recently died.[39] The inscription below the window reads:

In memory of Richard Robert Drummond Ash, M.A. rector of this parish for 28 years A.D. 1860–1888. He entered into rest June 14, 1896 aged 67. In the same year, when the chancel was restored, this window was dedicated by his friends and parishioners.[40]

On the northern wall of the chancel is the door to the vestry. This dates from 1896 and has a plain pointed arch.[33] To the right of this, is the Easter sepulchre. This has a large central finial above the inner trefoil-headed arch, with smaller pinnacles at the sides emerging from carved heads.[27] This dates from about 1300 and is possibly the oldest in Sussex.[39]

Set in the north-east corner of the chancel is the remains of an 11th-century gravestone which was discovered in the foundations of the chancel north wall during the 1896 re-building. It is 2 ft 0 in (0.6 m) wide and 2 ft 5 in (0.7 m) tall. On its face is a Y-shaped cross within a rectangular border.[36]

On the east wall of the chancel is an aumbry, behind a brass door engraved with the cross. Above this is a candelabra indicating that the Blessed Sacrament is preserved in the aumbry.[37] On the altar table is the altar cross which is made of iron, gilded and inlaid with mosaic and mother of pearl; this dates from 1896.[37] The earlier altar cross is now above the western door in the nave.[37]

On the south wall of the chancel is a triangle-headed piscina dating from the early 14th century; this was uncovered during the 1896 restoration.[26]

Also in the chancel are grave stones for three incumbents of the parish. On the east wall is the grave stone to James Maidlow, who died in 1791, aged 62. He was curate for 24 years and the Latin text claims that "he was happily endowed with a very witty temperament". On the south wall are the grave stones to Melmoth Skynner, who was vicar for 24 years and died in 1822 at the age of 90, while the other, with a Latin inscription, is in memory of James Barker, who was vicar for 28 years and also Archdeacon of Chichester. He died in 1736, aged 71. According to the Latin inscription: "He was content with his lot, yet not unworthy of a better one".[39]

The north aisle, which is separated from the nave by the three-bay arcade, was added in 1865.[26] On the north wall, there are three two-light windows with pointed trefoil heads and a similar taller window in the west wall.[33]

At the eastern end is situated the small church organ. This has a single keyboard and three stops, but over 150 pipes.[41]

The tower is at the western end of the church and was added in the early 14th century.[33][26] In the tower is a cupboard with a wooden door; this comes down to rest on a beam to form a flat surface. The cupboard was used to store the parish registers.[27]

The church has three bells. The oldest (No. 2) was cast in the bell foundry at Wokingham in 1420 and is inscribed "Sancte Johannis Ora Pro Nobis". The bell has a broad face, with a cross of four fleur de lys, surmounted by a crown and coin.[17] Bell No. 1, which is similar in design to bell No. 2, was cast by Roger Landen of Wokingham in 1448 and is inscribed "Sancte Caterina Ora Pro Nobis".[17] The third bell was hung in 1616 and was made by Thomas Wakefield of Chichester. This is inscribed "1W RK 1616 T & W".[42]