Littlehampton Friends Meeting House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Littlehampton Friends Meeting House |
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The meeting house from the south
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 Littlehampton Friends Meeting House
Location in West Sussex
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| 50°48′35″N 0°32′20″W / 50.8097°N 0.5390°W | |
| Location | 23 Church Street, Littlehampton, West Sussex BN17 5EL |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Quaker |
| Website | www.littlehamptonquakers.org.uk/ |
| History | |
| Status | Meeting house |
| Founded | 1835 (as Penny School); 1965 (as Quaker meeting house) |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 21 August 1975 |
| Completed | 1836 |
The Littlehampton Friends Meeting House is a special place where Quakers meet to worship in Littlehampton, a town in West Sussex, England. Quakers are also known as the Religious Society of Friends. This building has been a Quaker meeting house since the 1960s.
Before that, it was a "Penny School" built in the early 1800s. The building is shaped like an "L" and is made of flint stone. It used to have schoolrooms and a house for the schoolmaster. Today, it is a place where Quakers hold their weekly meetings. The building is considered important enough to be a Grade II Listed building.
Contents
A Look Back: The History of the Meeting House
Littlehampton's Growth and Early Schools
Littlehampton is a town by the River Arun, where it flows into the English Channel. In the 1800s, it grew into a small port and a popular seaside resort. By 1861, about 2,400 people lived there. People could find nice places to stay near the beach.
At first, private teachers taught children in the growing town. In 1835, a woman named Mrs. Welch started a "Penny School." This was a type of school where children paid a small fee, like a penny, to learn. It was on Church Street.
From School to Meeting Place
The school building was finished and opened in 1836. It had one schoolroom and a house for the teacher next to it. Around 65 students usually attended this school. It was run by people called Dissenters, who were Christians but not part of the main Church of England.
After some time, the school closed. The building then became a place for religious groups. The Plymouth Brethren, another Christian group, used it for a while.
Meanwhile, Quakers began meeting in Littlehampton in 1952. They wanted a permanent place to worship. So, in 1965, they bought the old school building. By then, the Plymouth Brethren had moved to another hall in town.
In 1985, there were 20 members in the Littlehampton Friends Meeting. Today, the Religious Society of Friends says it is a "large" meeting. They hold their weekly meetings on Sunday mornings.
The Littlehampton Friends Meeting House became a Grade II Listed building on August 21, 1975. This means it's a historically important building that needs to be protected.
Building Features: What Does It Look Like?
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The old school building has an "L" shape. It has a long part facing south and another part sticking out to the east. The outside walls are made of flint stones. They have red bricks around the windows and doors, and grey bricks at the corners.
The main part of the building has three sections. It features two tall, pointed windows. The entrance is also pointed and is in a part that sticks out slightly on the left. The east part of the building has a large bay window that faces south. Above this window is a stucco (a type of plaster) gable with the words "FRIENDS' MEETING HOUSE" painted on it. This two-story section was originally where the schoolmaster lived.
The building is also important because it fits in well with the other old buildings nearby on Church Street. These include cottages from the 1700s and 1800s, which also have flint and brick walls.
See also
