Ditchling Unitarian Chapel

In England, people and ministers who worshipped outside the Church of England but were not part of the Roman Catholic Church were historically known as Dissenters or (Protestant) Nonconformists. Nonconformism became officially recognised after the Act of Uniformity 1662, which removed from their living those Church of England ministers who refused to recognise or abide by the Act's requirements. Many alternative denominations developed, all focused on a person's personal relationship with God rather than on the rites and ceremonies of religious worship as in the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches. This trend was seen throughout Sussex, and by the late 17th century "the all-embracing…

The chapel and cottage are set back from East End Lane on slightly higher ground. Historically, the standard building materials used for Nonconformist chapels in Sussex were brick and tiles for the walls and roof respectively. This applies at Ditchling, where the Old Meeting House is entirely brick-built with some stucco applied to the west and south walls. The brickwork is in the English bond pattern, and the roof is hipped. The entrance was originally on the north side and has a blocked doorway (bricked up in 1819) and two timber-framed windows with segmental arches. A new entrance was created in the east wall in the 19th century when a footpath from East End Lane was moved; it is set…