Just when Christianity first came to Rayne will probably never be known but, to quote from an earlier Guide, there was ... a previous Church built in the beginning of the seventh century. This was in the days of the Saxons, 250 years or more before the time of Alfred the Great. In 1199, the year King John succeeded Richard I, this building was replaced by a Norman Nave and Chancel, founded by Robert de Welles and Harry de Reynes (or Raynes). The tower was added in 1510 in the days of Henry VIII.
After being in use for more than 600 years, the Norman Nave and Chancel became unsafe and 1840, shortly after the accession of Queen Victoria, they were replaced by those in use today. The Tudor Tower was, however, left intact.
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 Behind the metal clock dial on the west face of the Tower is an ancient wooden dial of unknown date. The clock has a single hand only with four instead of the usual five divisions between the hours to denote quarters and halves. It has been driven by an electric mechanism since 1956 and only the pendulum and winding handle of the original clock now remain. |