Church of St Thomas of Canterbury and English Martyrs, St Leonards-on-Sea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Thomas of Canterbury and English Martyrs |
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The church from the southeast
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| 50°51′23″N 0°33′54″E / 50.8565°N 0.5649°E | |
| Location | Magdalen Road, St Leonards-on-Sea, Hastings, East Sussex TN37 6ET |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | www.rcchurchesinstleonardsonsea.org.uk |
| History | |
| Status | Church |
| Founded | 1848 (original convent chapel); 1866 (first church); 21 July 1888 (present church) |
| Dedication | Thomas of Canterbury |
| Consecrated | 1907 |
| Events | 1848: first Roman Catholic place of worship opened 1866: new church opened on Magdalen Road 1887: church destroyed by fire 1889: present church opened on the same site |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 13 December 2006 |
| Architect(s) | Charles Alban Buckler |
| Style | Early English Gothic Revival |
| Completed | 6 July 1889 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Leonards-on-Sea and Hollington |
| Deanery | St Leonards-on-Sea |
| Diocese | Arundel and Brighton |
The Church of St Thomas of Canterbury and English Martyrs is a Roman Catholic church. It serves the town of St Leonards-on-Sea in East Sussex, England. This town is part of the Borough of Hastings.
The church you see today is the third Catholic building in St Leonards-on-Sea. Its outside looks quite plain, but the inside is very fancy. It has beautiful paintings from the early 1900s by Nathaniel Westlake.
The town of St Leonards-on-Sea started in 1827. A convent (a place where nuns live) opened there in 1848. People could attend church services in the convent's chapel. Later, a new church was built nearby in 1866. But this church burned down. A famous architect named Charles Alban Buckler designed the current church. It is still used today and is an important historical building. It has a special "Grade II" listing because of its architecture and history.
Contents
History of the Church
How St Leonards-on-Sea Began
St Leonards-on-Sea was a new town created by James Burton. He was a builder and property developer. In 1828, he bought a large area of land with trees and a long shoreline. This land faced the English Channel.
For the next few years, Burton designed a fancy new town. It had houses, shops, hotels, and even an Anglican church. It was made to be a popular seaside resort. Soon, it became as big and well-known as its old neighbour, Hastings.
Early Catholic Worship
A place for Roman Catholics to worship was soon needed in the growing town. A priest named Rev. John Jones received a gift of money, land, and a house. This gift was meant to be used for Catholic religious purposes. He wanted to build a convent for Jesuits (a group of priests).
He extended the house for them, but they found it unsuitable. Plans for a large, fancy chapel and convent were not built. Instead, work began in 1837 on simpler buildings. These were designed in the Gothic Revival style. A.W.N. Pugin oversaw this work.
A new group of nuns, called The Society of the Holy Child Jesus, moved in. Pugin started building a convent chapel in 1848. It was finished much later, in 1869, by his son Edward Welby. At first, the convent's dining hall was used as a temporary chapel for the nuns and the public. The finished chapel was named St Michael and All Angels.
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Building a New Church
Over time, it became clear that a separate church was needed for the public. So, in 1866, a new church was built nearby. After this, the convent chapel was only used by the nuns.
The new church was built on Magdalen Road. It was designed by Charles Alban Buckler. He was a Catholic convert and a very respected architect of his time. Construction started on August 21, 1865. The church opened on May 24, 1866. It was officially blessed in 1868.
This church had a special wooden carving of a pietà (a sculpture of Mary holding Jesus after his crucifixion). It was dedicated to St Thomas of Canterbury (Thomas Becket) and the English Martyrs. These were Catholics who were executed during the Reformation period.
Fire and Rebuilding
Sadly, this church was destroyed by fire on January 3, 1887. But people wanted to keep worshipping. So, within two months, a temporary church was put up. This was a tin tabernacle (a church made of corrugated iron). It allowed services to continue while a new church was planned.
Charles Alban Buckler was asked again to design the replacement church. Building started on March 30, 1888. The foundation stone was laid on July 21 of that year. The new Church of St Thomas of Canterbury and English Martyrs opened to the public on July 6, 1889.
Between 1908 and 1911, Nathaniel Westlake painted the inside of the church. He created many colorful murals showing scenes from the Bible. These paintings are very special because they are so detailed and have survived for so long. The murals needed repairs in the 1950s due to weather damage. By 1981, they were in very bad condition. Luckily, enough money was raised to restore them fully. An artist named Charles Camm did this important work.
Church Design and Art
Outside vs. Inside
The Church of St Thomas of Canterbury and English Martyrs has a big difference between its outside and inside. The outside looks plain and simple. But the inside is very richly decorated.
Architect Charles Alban Buckler mostly designed buildings in the Gothic Revival style. This style copies old medieval Gothic churches. His church in St Leonards-on-Sea is a good example. Outside, you can see typical Gothic features. These include trefoil (clover-shaped) and tall lancet windows. It also has a multi-sided apse (a rounded end) and buttresses (supports on the walls).
The walls are made of ironstone and Bath Stone. The church building does not have a tall tower or spire. From the outside, it looks very simple, almost like a church for monks.
Rich Interior Decorations
After seeing the simple outside, the "richly decorated" inside is a surprise. The colorful painted murals are from 1908–1911. They show Bible scenes and decorative patterns. These have been repaired and made even better over time.
Some windows have beautiful stained glass. These were likely made by famous companies like Clayton and Bell and Hardman & Co.. Nathaniel Westlake's paintings include images of St Michael. You can also see the English Martyrs and the Hand of God. There are various saints and prophets on the ceiling. A Nativity scene is on the south wall. A Last Supper scene is on the north wall.
The church also has original fittings. These include some pews (church benches) in the main area. There is a carved organ case. A marble font (for baptisms) has carvings of the Seven Sacraments. The pulpit (where the priest preaches) has images of saints. In the Lady chapel, there is a Bath Stone altar. It shows the Virgin Mary, Jesus, and angels.
The Church Today
Important Building Status
The Church of St Thomas of Canterbury and English Martyrs was given a "Grade II" listing on December 13, 2006. This means it is a "nationally important" building. It has "special interest" because of its history and design.
In February 2001, there were 521 Grade II listed buildings in Hastings. The church is one of many important listed churches in St Leonards-on-Sea.
Parish and Services
This church is one of two churches in the parish of St Leonards-on-Sea and Hollington. A parish is a local church area. This parish is part of the St Leonards-on-Sea Deanery. A deanery is a group of parishes. This deanery is part of the larger Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton.
The other church in the parish is the Church of the Holy Redeemer in Hollington. Hollington was an old village that grew into a large suburb of Hastings. The Church of the Holy Redeemer was built in 1934. It became part of this parish in 1959.
There is also another Roman Catholic church in the Hastings area. It is called Our Lady Star of the Sea (built in 1882) in Hastings Old Town.
Two Masses (church services) are held every Sunday at the Church of St Thomas of Canterbury and English Martyrs. Confession is also available every Saturday morning. The church is officially registered for worship.
See also
