South Street Free Church, Eastbourne facts for kids

Quick facts for kids South Street Free Church
The church from the southeast
South Street Free Church Location in East Sussex
50°46′00″N 0°16′46″E / 50.766533°N 0.279548°E / 50.766533; 0.279548
Location	21 South Street, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 4UP
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion
Previous denomination	Congregational
History
Status	Church
Founded	1897
Founder(s)	Reverend George Thompson
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	8 May 2009
Architect(s)	Henry Ward
Style	Arts and Crafts
Years built	1903
Groundbreaking	6 May 1903
Completed	1904

South Street Free Church is a special church located in the heart of Eastbourne. Eastbourne is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, England. This church started as a Congregational church. Now, it belongs to the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion. This is a small group of Christian churches. They follow the teachings of Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon. She started this group in the 1700s during a time of religious revival.

The church began in 1897. It was an offshoot from an older Congregational chapel. At first, the members met in rented rooms. A local architect named Henry Ward designed the current church building in 1903. The building has a unique and interesting style called Arts and Crafts. It is considered very important for its architecture and history. Because of this, it has been given a special status called Grade II by Historic England.

How the Church Started and Grew

Early Days: From Old to New

In 1862, a Congregational church was built in Eastbourne. It was on Pevensey Road, close to the town centre. In 1897, some members decided to start a new church. They first met in a building on Saffrons Road. This building used to be St. Peter's Church.

St. Peter's Church was an Anglican church. It was built in 1878 using red brick and tiles. It was designed by Henry Currey. This church was a smaller chapel connected to St Saviour's Church. A new St. Peter's Church was built in 1894, so the old building was no longer needed.

The Church of England sold the old building. Eastbourne Council bought it and renamed it Grove Hall. The council then rented Grove Hall to the new church group. Reverend George Thompson was chosen as their first leader.

Building a Permanent Home

The church members wanted their own building. In 1903, they began to make this happen. They asked local architect Henry Ward to design a church. The chosen spot was on South Street. This was near their temporary home on Saffrons Road.

The land for the new church used to be a blacksmith's workshop. Reverend Thompson laid the first stone on May 6, 1903. This stone shows the names of Henry Ward, the architect, and the builders, Padgham and Hutchinson. The church members moved into their new building in 1904. At first, it was called the New Congregational Church.

Joining the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion

Reverend George Thompson retired in 1907. After some time without a leader, Reverend J. Westbury Jones became the minister in 1914. Around the same time, the church joined the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion.

This group was started by Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon. She was born in 1707. She became interested in Methodist ideas. Later, she was influenced by the preacher George Whitefield. She then moved towards more Calvinistic beliefs. In 1783, she officially started her Connexion. This group was, and still is, Evangelical. They have strong Calvinistic beliefs.

Later Years and Modern Times

In 1918, Reverend Frederick Hastings became the minister. He served the church in Eastbourne until he passed away in 1937. He was 98 years old. The church then closed during World War II. The building became damaged during this time.

After the war, the building was repaired. More people joined the church under new ministers. The current pastor, David Batchelor, started in October 2010. He joined after finishing his studies at Oak Hill Theological College.

Church Design and Special Features

Meet the Architect: Henry Ward

Henry Ward was a talented architect. He moved from London to Hastings in the 1870s. In 1881, he became the Hastings Borough Surveyor. He designed many religious and other buildings. You can find his work in Hastings, St Leonards-on-Sea, Bexhill-on-Sea, and Eastbourne.

Besides South Street Free Church, he designed several other churches. These include Sedlescombe United Reformed Church (1879) and St. John's Congregational Church in Bexhill-on-Sea (1897).

The Unique Look of the Church

South Street Free Church has a strong Arts and Crafts style. It also has parts that look like Gothic Revival architecture. People describe it as "Free Gothic." This means it doesn't exactly match any old style.

The church is built with red brick. It has stone decorations and horizontal bands. The windows have stone frames. They also have vertical (mullions) and horizontal (transoms) bars. The front of the church is "quirky" and "busy." It looks uneven, with five sections of different widths and heights.

On the left side, there's a narrow section that looks like a house. It has a small pointed roof and two small arched windows. Next to it is a short tower with openings for bells and a pointed roof. The main entrance is in the middle. It has a wide pointed roof and windows inside a large round arch. Then there's a short, round tower with a stone top. Finally, on the right, there's a low section with a pointed roof. It has windows similar to the far left section. The tower helps the church stand out on the narrow street. It doesn't look too big compared to the other buildings.

Inside the Church

Inside, the main area, called the nave, has five sections. There are arches on both sides that hold up a gallery. This gallery goes around three sides of the church. The part on the west side has been changed.

The original organ and pulpit have been replaced. However, the front of the gallery is still original. It has decorative patterns. The pews and some other parts are also original. Light comes in through arched windows high up on the walls. At the east end, there is a rounded area called an apse. The wooden roof is supported by special arched beams.

A Protected Building

The church was given Grade II status on May 8, 2009. Buildings with this status are very important to the country. They are considered to have special historical or architectural value. As of 2021, South Street Free Church was one of 100 Grade II listed buildings in Eastbourne. There were 109 listed buildings of all types in the area.

Church Activities and Services

The church is officially registered for worship. Its registration number is 40103. It was also registered to hold marriages on December 22, 1904. At that time, it was called New Congregational Church. As of 2022, it was one of 22 churches in England that belong to the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion. Many of these churches are in East and West Sussex. Other churches in this group are in places like Bells Yew Green, Bolney, and Hailsham.

The church holds services every Sunday morning and evening. Two of these services each month include Holy Communion. Prayer meetings happen every Tuesday evening. The church also holds monthly services at four different care homes in Eastbourne. A youth group meets weekly at the church. Other regular events include a lunch club for older people and a discussion group open to everyone.

See also

• List of places of worship in Eastbourne
• Listed buildings in Eastbourne