View source for All Souls Church

{{#description2:All Souls Church in Athelstan Road Hastings was consecrated in 1891. The church has been described as one of the best works by architect Arthur Blomfield, with Heaton, Butler and Bayne stained glass and a possibly unique Norman and Beard organ.}}
{{Infobox church
|location = Athelstan Road
|denomination = Anglican
|founded date           = 2 November 1889
|consecrated date       = 16 July 1891
|closed date            = 4 November 2007
|founder                = Elizabeth Mason
|dedication             = All Souls
|groundbreaking         = 1890
|completed date         = 1891
|parish                 = [[Christ Church Ore]]
|deanery                = Rural Deanery of Hastings
|archdeaconry           = Archdeaconry of Lewes and Hastings|Lewes and Hastings
|diocese                = Diocese of Chichester
|image                  = All-Souls-Church-Athelstone-Road.-1904..jpg
}}
== Summary ==
{{Short description|A now redundant Anglican church in [[:Category:Clive Vale|Clive Vale]]}}
[[File:All Souls Church Dedication Plaque 2019.jpg|thumb|left|Dedication Plaque]]
All Souls Church, was an [[Denomination::Anglican]] church that was consecrated on the 16th July 1891 by the Right Reverand Richard Durnford, D.D, Lord Bishop of Chichester. It has been described as one of the best works by the ecclesiastical architect [[Arthur Blomfield (1829-1899)|Arthur Blomfield]] who also built [[Christ Church St Leonards]]. It features Heaton, Butler and Bayne stained glass, an unusual, possibly unique Norman and Beard (Norwich) organ and an elaborate mosaic reredos. The church is Grade II* Listed<ref>[https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1293681 historicengland.org.uk]</ref>. The building itself is an imposing brick edifice on the corner of [[Athelstan Road]] and [[Berlin Road]].This was the last of the major parish churches to have been constructed in the town.<ref name="bl">An Illustrated History of [[Category:Clive Vale|Clive Vale]] ([[Brian Lawes]]) pg. 46</ref>
== Endowment and Location == 
[[File:Mrs Mason's grave marker.jpg|thumb|right|Image of [[Elizabeth Mason (1816-1907)|Mrs Mason]] from her restored gravemarker<ref name="fohc">https://friendsofhastingscemetery.org.uk/masonthomas.html</ref>]]
A resident of [[Lynwood]], [[Old Roar Road]], St Leonards-on-Sea, [[Elizabeth Mason (1816-1907)|Elizabeth Mason]], provided £15,000 for a church to be built in memory of her late husband, [[Thomas Mason (c1813-1888)|Thomas Mason]]<ref name="fohc"></ref>. The particular location was chosen at the suggestion of the Rev. Canon H. D. Jones, in part due to the location of the Parish Rooms in [[Athelstan Road]], which for a time was a mission hall. The neighbourhood of [[:Category:Clive Vale|Clive Vale]] was being developed rapidly at this time on land that was part of the Rev. [[Milward-Sayer]]'s estate.<ref> [[Hastings and St Leonards Observer]] - Saturday 06 January 1912 </ref><ref name="sae1"> Sussex Agricultural Express - Tuesday 05 November 1889 </ref>The foundation stone was placed on All Souls' Day (2 November) 1889 with a brief service attended by several hundred people and a number of clergymen including; the Revs. Canon Whelpton (Eastbourne), G. A. Foyster, H. B. Foyster, Archdeacon Noyes, C. L. Vaughan, [[Rev. H. U. Whelpton]] (vicar designate), C. W. J. Wilson, A. Macdona, H. L. Beardmore, E. Clowes, A. Hodges & J. Orlebar accompanied by a Mr [[H. W. Eaton]] who also was the organist for the consecration. [[Elizabeth Mason (1816-1907)|Mrs Mason]] was intended to attend the service but was indisposed.<ref name="sae1"></ref>
== Construction ==
Construction work began in 1890, the firm of Messrs. Goddard of Dorking being selected as the main contractor at a cost of approximately £11,000. The site itself was donated by the Rev.  Milward-Sayer, occupying a site sloped diagonally across the plot,  and the designed capacity was for up between 800 and 900 parishioners.<ref name="sae1"></ref>
== Architecture ==
[[File:All Souls Bell Chamber.jpg|thumb|left|Bell Chamber]]
The church is a tall structure, there being a minor difference in height between the nave and the chancel, and the chancel arch is modest in form. It is constructed almost entirely of red brick, with an estimated 40 different moulds being used in total with responds on the walls<ref name="jb"></ref>. It is believed that some of the bricks originated in Tunbridge Wells due to a makers mark being found on two bricks within the structure.<ref name="jb"></ref>
[[File:View down aisle All Souls Church.jpg|thumb|right|View looking down the aisle]]
The aisles have five bays, each with paired lancet windows, projecting below the clerestory with paired lancets and an oculus to the first and fifth bays and three stepped lancet windows in the remaining bays. The east window has five lights in a distinctive layout, all set in an arched recess: the middle window is a tall lancet, and the flanking pairs have y-tracery.<ref name="EH">https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1293681</ref><ref name="spc"></ref> Similar tracery also appears in windows in the Lady chapel and the west wall. Some of the clerestory windows have plate tracery.<ref name="EH"></ref> The north side has an organ chamber in the form of a transept, lit by narrow windows and an oculus. One bell is held in a gabled wooden chamber. At the west end is a baptistery in a canted apse, a typical feature of Blomfield Churches.<ref name="spc"></ref>
[[File:Detaiing on roof Beams - All Souls Church.jpg.jpg|thumb|left|Roof beam detail]]
There were plans to construct a tower on the south east corner, however this did not come to fruition due to insufficient funds being available.<ref name="jb"></ref><ref name="spc"></ref>The spacious interior has a high-quality roof of open timberwork with pronounced cusping, this being one of the main characteristics of Blomfield's work. Virtually all of the interior is in brick except the abaci of the piers.<ref name="spc">https://sussexparishchurches.org/church/all-souls-athelstan-road/</ref> One local historian described the interior as "the finest red-brick interior" in the county.<ref>Elleray, D. Robert (1981). The Victorian Churches of Sussex.</ref>
== Fixtures ==
# (East window and south aisle seventh and eighth windows) Heaton, Butler and Bayne.<ref name="jb"></ref>  The east window (1893) depicts Christ the King, flanked by saints.<ref name="hslo1"></ref> Those in the south aisle date to 1893. They are derived from famous paintings including Holman Hunt’s Light of the World and were added by Mr W. H. Miller.<ref> Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 29 July 1893 </ref>  One or more of these (or the baptistery window below) is likely to be the additional glass by the company recorded in its own catalogue of 1902 <ref>Bayne p126</ref>.
# (Baptistery, centre window) Heaton, Butler and Bayne, 1892-93 <ref name="jb">John Barker</ref>.
# (West window) J Powell and Sons, 1908<ref name="jb"></ref>.  The Te Deum is depicted. The designer was C Hardgrave <ref name="jb"></ref>.Following the passing of [[Elizabeth Mason (1816-1907)|Elizabeth Mason]], a bequest of £700 was made from her estate for this window in  1907<ref> Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 28 September 1907 </ref>
# (South chapel, fourth window) Shrigley and Hunt, 1893 <ref>www.stainedglassrecords.org retrieved 4/3/2013</ref>.  Delicately drawn figures in a late Pre-Raphaelite idiom.<ref name="jb"></ref>
# (North aisle, seventh and eighth windows) Saints by P. Bacon, 1905 (one signed). The heads are curiously photographic in appearance, as if portraits of actual persons.<ref name="jb"></ref>
# ([[War Memorial]]) Two lights by local artist [[P. W. Cole]], 1934 (Dated) <ref name="jb"></ref>. These are in the idiom of early mediaeval glass with three small-scale medallions. The windows frame a representation of St George and the dragon.Reredos: Marble and mosaic and tall.  It is by J Powell and Sons and dates from 1897<ref name="jb"></ref>.
Screen: Open ironwork and incorporating the pulpit and lectern, of a type favoured by Blomfield.The seating in the body of the church has ends with an inverted Y-profile.<ref name="jb"></ref><ref name="EH"></ref>At the west end the font has a marble circular bowl on a quatrefoil base with green marble shafts.<ref name="jb"></ref><ref name="EH"></ref>Post-closure, many of the fittings have been removed by the Diocese – the High Altar has gone to Worthing, the large crucifix, the stations of the cross and other statues to other churches<ref name="jb"></ref>
<gallery>
File:North Window, All Souls Church.png|East Window
File:All Souls East Window.jpg.jpg|South Aisle
File:HastingsAllSoulsWWindowPowellNW.jpg.jpg|West Window
File:HastingsAllSoulsSChapelSWindowSandHuntNW.jpg.jpg|South Window
File:HastingsAllSoulsPColeGlassNW.jpg.jpg|P Cole NW Window
File:All Souls P.Cole Window.jpg.jpg|P Cole NW Window
File:HastingsAllSoulsFontNW.jpg.jpg|Font
File:All Souls Pulpit.jpg|Pulpit
File:All Souls Church Reredos 2019.jpg|Mosaic Reredos
</gallery>
== War Memorial ==
This is listed with the CWGC, however is not currently recorded by them as being potentially at risk<ref>https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/235469</ref>
<gallery>
File:War Memorial All Souls.jpg.jpg|War Memorial
File:St George & The Dragon All Souls Church.jpg|Detail of St George & the dragon
</gallery>
Names Listed:
{| class="wikitable"
| [https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/925093/alesworth,-frank-mcnaughton/ Frank Alesworth]
||[https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/3055732/french,-henry-george-hazelden/ Henry George Hazelden French]
|| [https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/96622/martell,-brice-selwyn/ Brice Selwyn Martell] 
|| [https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1748448/sands,-william/ William Thomas Sands]
|-
| [https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1751232/bilsby,-albert-ernest/ Albert Bilsby] 
|| [https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/585736 William Garner] 
|| [https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2000503/mccormick,-claude-rutherford/ Claude Rutherford McCormick] 
|| [https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1638656/selwood,-thomas-john/ Thomas John Selwood]
|-
| [https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/764977/bristow,-percy/ Percy Bristow ]
|| [https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/28671/gower,-charles-henry/ Charles Gower ] 
|| [https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/609294/mccormick,-hugh-rutherford/ Hugh Rutherford McCormick ] 
|| [https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1659696/stoakes,-archibald/ Archibald Stoakes ]
|-
| [https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/606708 Fred Burgess ]
|| [https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/6287891 Arthur Ernest Harman ]
|| [https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/3056843/mccormick,-james-rutherford/ James Rutherford McCormick ]
|| [https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/24863/stanley,-frederick-charles/ Frederick Charles Stanley ]
|-
| [https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/659792/collins,-bertram-frederick/ Bertram Frederick Collins ]
|| Norman Hinell 
|| James Mercer 
|| [https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/4320493 George Surman ]
|-
| [https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/758645/collins,-william-walter/ William Walter Collins ]
|| [https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/524885/hope,-thomas/ Thomas Hope ]
|| Hubert Pain 
|| [https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1626641/tomlin,-george/ George Tomlin ]
|-
| [https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/659794/cooper,-edward/ Edward Cooper ]
|| [https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/621080/hudd,-fred/ Fred Hudd ]
|| [https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/807874/pain,-reginald/ Reginald Pain ]
|| [https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/569680/willard,-ernest-edward/ Ernest Edward Willard ]
|-
| [https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1611277/edwards,-robert-william/ Robert William Edwards ]
|| [https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/527492/ingram,-james/ James Ingram ]
|| John Bernard Paine 
|| [https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/507149/williams,-john-martin/ John Martin Williams ]
|-
| [https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/753743/evans,-edward-g./ Edward George Evans ]
|| William Richard Isted 
|| Alfred Rogers 
|| Cecil Wood
|-
|  || Herbert Henry Jones || Oliver Rogers || [https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/30486/wynne,-edward-ernest/ Ernest Wynne]
|-
|  || [https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/328512/kenward,-william/ William Kenward] |
| [https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1768425/sands,-george-henry/ George Henry Sands] || 
|}
== List of Incumbents ==
<poem>
1889 - 1895 [[Rev. H. U. Whelpton]]
1895 - 1915 [[Rev. E. F. P. Durnford]]
1915 - 1924 [[Rev. H. Collinson]]
1924 - 1930 [[Rev. H. B. Bentley]]
1930 - 1950 [[Rev. B. H. Pemberton]]
1951 - 1954 [[Rev. E. G. Ogden]]
1954 - 1963 [[Rev. E. C. Andrews]]
1963 - 1978 [[Rev. G. A. D. Armitstead]]
1978 - 1999 [[Rev. B. Trill]]
1999 - 2003 [[Rev. K. Mepham]]
</poem>

== Organ ==
Construction of what has been described as a unique and essentially unaltered Norman and Beard (Norwich) organ<ref> I Bell, `All Souls Parish Church, Hastings: A Report on the Organ'</ref> started during 1893 under the direction of the then organist, [[Edward Kennard]] and featured a moveable console, operating on the Hope-Jones system attached to the main instrument by over 100 feet of cabling and powered by batteries<ref name="jb"></ref>, with the air being pumped in the traditional manner via bellows. This is one of the earliest examples of an electro-pneumatic organ.<ref name="bl"/> The initial costs of funding this were partly met by the sale of a series of photographs taken by the local photographer [[G W Bradshaw (1857-1917)|G W Bradshaw]].<ref name="hslo1"> Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 06 May 1893 </ref> 
[[File:All Souls Organ Pipes.jpg|thumb|frame|left|Rank of organ pipes]]
[[File:All Souls Organ Console.jpg|thumb|frame|right|Detail of console]]
The first public hearing of the organ occurred on the 6th of April 1893 with a recital given by the organist after a short benediction service.<ref> Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 01 April 1893</ref>. The lower manual (of three) of the organ was never completed. Had this occurred, it would have been the largest in the area.<ref> Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 09 September 1893</ref>. As it was, the full construction and installation of the instrument took almost as long as the church to be completed with fund-raising efforts continuing through to 1895. There was a complete breakdown of the blowing apparatus for the organ in October 1930, preventing use for a period, with repairs estimated to cost £1,000.00.<ref> Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 11 October 1930</ref>
== Decline & Closure ==
By the late 20th century, population shifts and declining church attendance meant the provision of Anglican churches in Hastings was excessive. Four were demolished between 1964 and 1986, and others were closed. The first indication that All Souls Church may close came in August 2002, when structural problems were discovered, forcing the entrance on [[Berlin Road]] to be shut. Repairs were estimated at £200,000—too much for the now only 25-strong congregation to raise<ref>https://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/news/crumbling-victorian-church-may-close-1-1442294</ref>. Furthermore, the church was already supported by large grants to keep it going. It remained open for a few more years, but the final service was held on [[Closed::4 November 2007]] and a temporary closure notice was served.<ref name="hslo2"></ref> It was formally declared redundant by the Diocese of Chichester on 1 March 2008. The parish was joined to that of [[Christ Church Ore]] after closure.<ref name="spc"></ref>Secretary of All Souls parochial church council, John Barker, lives opposite and has been a member of the congregation for over 60 years<ref name="jb"></ref>, and his parents before that. "It's almost an extension of my home,". Mr Barker is currently the caretaker for the building.<ref name="hslo2">https://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/news/all-souls-church-closes-1-1447318</ref>
== Current Condition ==
[[File:Ingress of water causing growth of vegetation All Souls.jpg|thumb|frame|left|Water ingress in Lady Chapel]]
[[File:Water ingress Lady Chapel All Souls.jpg|size=200|thumb|frame|right|Water ingress in Lady Chapel]]
The roof has lost a number of ridge tiles, with water and pigeons gaining access causing damage to both the flooring and the reredos. In the Lady Chapel, there is clear indications of water seepage, with vegetation growing down one of the pillars. There have also been unsuccessful attempts of lead theft with one of the lower roofs being badly affected.
The building was listed in the Victorian Society's top ten list of endangered buildings in 2014 with repairs then estimated to exceed £1.2 million.<ref>https://www.victoriansociety.org.uk/news/all-souls-church-hastings-east-sussex</ref>== Future ==
There has been interest expressed in the building by a sculptor who wishes to set up an exhibition space for his work, although at the time of writing, this is in the early stages.<ref name="HE">https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/heritage-at-risk/search-register/list-entry/1233556</ref>
== Anecdotal History ==
Led by the Vicar (the Rev. E. P. F. Durnford), carrying a small pistol fully loaded, a search party ransacked All Souls Church in the early hours of Sunday morning on the 18th of July 1909 following an alarm that a burglar was within. Residents in the neighbourhood were disturbed by hearing police whistles violently blown and crowd in varying stages of undress collected outside the church. A plain clothes detective had given the alarm and a number of police constables came and helped in the search. Nothing was found missing from the church and there were no signs of forcible entry, and the searchers concluded it was a false alarm.<ref>Hastings and St. Leonards Observer. July 24th, 1909</ref>
{{ShowImages}}
==References & Notes==
{{footer}}[[Category:Closed Churches]]