Hastings Fishermen's Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hastings Fishermen's Museum(Formerly St Nicholas' Church) |
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The building from the northwest
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| Location | Rock-a-Nore Road, Rock-a-Nore, Hastings, East Sussex TN34 3DW |
| Founded | 1854 |
| Built | 1854 |
| Built for | Church of England (as St Nicholas' Church) |
| Restored | 1956 |
| Restored by | Old Hastings Preservation Society |
| Architect | William J. Gant |
| Architectural style(s) | Gothic Revival |
| Visitors | 140,000 (in 2008) |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Official name: Fishermen's Museum | |
| Designated | 14 September 1976 |
| Reference no. | 1043428 |
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The Hastings Fishermen's Museum is a fun place to visit in Hastings, England. It's a museum that teaches you all about the town's fishing industry and its history with the sea.
The museum is inside an old church. This church was officially called St Nicholas' Church. People in Hastings also called it The Fishermen's Church. It served the local fishing community for almost 100 years, starting in 1854.
After World War II, the building was damaged and not used as a church anymore. A group called the Old Hastings Preservation Society decided to save it. They turned it into a museum, which opened in 1956. Today, it's one of the most popular places for tourists to visit in Hastings. The building itself is special. It's a simple stone chapel built in the Gothic Revival style. It's so important that English Heritage has given it a Grade II listing. This means it's a building of special historical or architectural interest.
The Church's Story
Hastings has been a fishing town for a very long time, even since Saxon times. Fishermen have always worked on The Stade at Rock-a-Nore, which is near the Old Town. Fishing was super important to Hastings, especially in the Middle Ages. The town's success often depended on how well the fishing port and boat-building businesses were doing.
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By 1801, only two of Hastings' original medieval churches were still standing. But the town grew quickly, and more churches were needed. In the 1840s, the church leaders wanted to build a new church right where the fishermen lived. Many fishermen and their families didn't go to church often because they worked on Sundays.
So, Rev. J.G. Foyster, a church leader, asked a missionary named Tom Tanner to work in the Rock-a-Nore area. He also hired an architect named William Gant to design a new church. William Gant had moved to Hastings in 1852. He mostly designed houses. His simple stone church cost £529 and was built in early 1854. The very first church service was held on March 26, 1854.
This new church was not a main parish church. It was a chapel of ease for All Saints Church. This meant it was a smaller church meant to make it easier for people to attend services. At first, the fishing community wasn't very welcoming to the church. It even closed down in the 1870s. But then, a popular new chaplain, Rev. Charles Dawes, helped bring it back to life. By the 1880s, the church, which could hold 290 people, was full for every service!
When World War II began, the church's location on The Stade was very useful for the military. They took over the building and used it to store weapons. The church was damaged during the war. After the war, Hastings Council owned the building and only offered a short-term lease. Because of this, the church leaders decided to close it. In the early 1950s, fishermen and traders used it to store their things.
The Museum Opens!
In 1955, a group called the Old Hastings Preservation Society wanted to save the old church building. They also wanted to show off a traditional Hastings fishing boat, called a lugger, that they had found. Hastings Council agreed to let them use the building as a museum.
In April 1956, part of one wall was taken down so the big lugger could be brought inside. The town's mayor officially opened the museum on May 17, 1956.
Today, the museum has many cool things to see. You can find old tools, photos, and paintings that show the history of fishing in Hastings. It also has items related to the Winkle Club. This club was started in 1900 by local fishermen to help poor children in the town. Famous people like Sir Winston Churchill and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother were honorary members of the club! The museum is very popular, with about 140,000 visitors each year.
The building was given a Grade II listing by English Heritage on September 14, 1976. This means it's a "nationally important" building with "special interest." As of 2001, it was one of 521 Grade II listed buildings in Hastings.
What the Building Looks Like
St Nicholas' Church was a small, simple church with not many fancy decorations. The building hasn't changed much since it became a museum. It's built from light-colored Kentish ragstone laid in neat rows. It has a gabled slate roof. The corners of the building, called quoins, are covered with stucco.
On the east side, the gable has a small stone cross. On the west side, there's a small bell tower called a bellcote. The style of the building is similar to Early English design, which you can see in its tall, narrow lancet windows. Inside, there's one large open space because there isn't a dividing arch between the main part of the church (the nave) and the altar area (the chancel).
See also
