St. Leonards on Sea Congregational Church

From Historical Hastings
St. Leonards on Sea Congregational Church
Architecture
Completed1864
Closed2008
The church viewed from London Road in 1864

Designed by the firm of Habershon and Brock on the 26th of September, 1863 for its Congregationalist founder James Griffin, and constructed from sandstone quarried from the Ore Quarry, given free of charge by the quarry's owner, Thomas Spalding[1]. Robert Elleray described it as "one of the finest Nonconformist buildings in Sussex". The original stained-glass windows were supplied by Losing its 130 foot tall copper spire[1] in the Great Storm of 1987 the church was finally closed as a place of worship in 2008 after six years of disuse. During the late 1980s, the lower ground floor, originally the school room[1], and accessed via a separate entrance on London Road was utilised as a homeless shelter in the winter[2].

A proposal by a new owner to convert the church into holiday lets and cafe took place in the early 2010s[3]; although some limited restoration took place, this was not to reach fruition; further renovation of the exterior by means of a 'Townscape Heritage Initiative Grant' took place c2018 following its sale to another new owner. In 2019 planning permission was granted to convert the building into a mixed-use one featuring artists' workshops, retail units and a cafe[4].

Images

References & Notes

  1. ↑ a b c British Newspaper Archive Sussex Advertiser 1 November 1864 Pg. 0005
  2. ↑ Hastings Borough Council Planning application ref HS/FA/88/01473
  3. ↑ Hastings Borough Council Planning application ref HS/FA/12/00788
  4. ↑ Hastings Borough Council Planning application ref HS/FA/19/00571
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