St Peter's Church, St Leonards-on-Sea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sonrise Church at St Peter's |
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| St Peter's and St Paul's Church | |
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The church from the south
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| 50°51′39″N 0°33′41″E / 50.8608°N 0.5614°E | |
| Location | St Peter's Road/Cornfield Terrace, St Leonards-on-Sea, Hastings, East Sussex TN37 6RA |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Independent Evangelical |
| Previous denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Status | Church |
| Founded | 1883 |
| Founder(s) | Blanche E. Elliott (benefactor) |
| Events | 1 November 2011: declared redundant by Diocese of Chichester 10 February 2016: registered for the use of Sonrise Church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 14 September 1976 |
| Architect(s) | James Brooks |
| Style | Early English Gothic Revival |
| Completed | 1885 |
| Construction cost | Approx. £11,000 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Leonards-on-Sea: Christ Church and St Mary Magdalen [sic] (until 2011) |
| Deanery | Hastings (until 2011) |
| Archdiocese | Lewes and Hastings (until 2011) |
| Diocese | Diocese of Chichester (until 2011) |
St Peter's Church is a beautiful old building in the Bohemia area of St Leonards-on-Sea, a town in East Sussex, England. It used to be an Anglican church. The church was started in 1883 and finished in 1885. It was built because many new homes were being built in St Leonards-on-Sea.
The church was designed by a famous architect named James Brooks. He was known for his strong and successful Gothic Revival designs. A local company, John Howell & Son, built the church. They had built many other churches in the area.
Later, a nearby church called St Paul's closed down. Its parish (the area it served) joined with St Peter's. Because of this, the church's official name became St Peter's and St Paul's Church. Since 2010, the building has been home to Sonrise Church, which is an independent Christian group. The church is very important for its history and design. It is listed as a Grade II* building by English Heritage. This means it is a very special and important building.
Contents
The Church's Story: From Past to Present
St Leonards-on-Sea grew very quickly after it was founded in 1828. It was started by a builder from London named James Burton. This seaside town, next to Hastings, became very popular. It had a long walkway along the English Channel with fancy buildings. Over time, the town also grew far inland as more houses were built.
In the early years, three other Anglican churches were built in the town: St Leonard's (1831), St Mary Magdalene's Church (1858), and Christ Church (1860). A fourth church, St Paul's, was built in 1868.
Building St Peter's Church
As the town kept growing, especially near Bohemia Road, another church was needed. A kind person named Blanche E. Elliott, who went to St Paul's Church, gave £14,300 to help build a new church. The first stone for the church was laid on 4 August 1883. Lady Brassey helped with this important event.
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The Hastings company John Howell & Son built the church. They followed the designs of James Brooks. He was known as one of the most respected church architects of the Victorian era. His original plan for St Peter's included a tall tower and spire, but these were never built.
The church was finished in 1885 and opened for people to worship there. The total cost was more than £11,000. St Peter's was given its own parish, which was created from part of St Paul's parish. Both churches served the local area for about 80 years.
Joining Parishes and New Beginnings
In 1964, St Paul's Church was closed and taken down. Many people felt this was a great loss for Hastings' old churches. After St Paul's closed, its parish joined with St Peter's. From then on, the church and its parish were known as St Peter and St Paul. (There is another church with a similar name in Silverhill Park, but it is not connected to this one.)
In 2009, the church faced a challenging time with its leadership. The vicar, who had served the church for 20 years, was involved in a serious situation. This led to a court case in 2010, and the vicar was sentenced to prison. The Diocese of Chichester decided that St Peter's Church was no longer needed for Anglican services starting November 1, 2011.
However, the church building found a new purpose. Since 2010, it has been used by Sonrise Church. This is an Evangelical Christian group. In February 2016, Sonrise Church was officially registered to hold weddings there.
Church Design: A Closer Look
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James Brooks was famous for designing large, yet affordable, churches. He often used simple, well-proportioned Gothic Revival styles, usually with brick. He also added interesting architectural details. You can see these features at St Peter's Church. Even though he had a bigger budget here than for some of his London churches, he kept his signature style.
The church is built in the Early English Gothic Revival style. It uses red brick and has tall, narrow windows called lancet windows. These windows have beautiful stone patterns called plate tracery. The walls also have some limestone, and the roof is made of slates and red clay tiles.
Inside the Church
The church's layout includes a chancel (the area around the altar) and a nave (the main part where people sit). These two parts are separated by a tall arch that almost reaches the roof. This makes the inside feel like one big space. There's also a clerestory (a high section with windows) and aisles on each side of the nave.
You can enter the church through porches on the south and west sides. There's a side chapel, a vestry (a room for clergy), and an organ-chamber above it. A small stair-turret leads up to the organ-chamber. There's also a baptistery (where baptisms happen) with a round-shaped end.
The clerestory has tall, paired lancet windows. This makes the aisles below them seem low. The baptistery at the northwest end has a vaulted, cone-shaped roof. It has decorative patterns called moulding in a "dog-tooth" style.
Both the west and east windows are very large. They are made up of groups of lancet windows. The west window is above one of the entrance porches. It also has vertical stone bars called mullions and clover-shaped openings called quatrefoil lights.
Inside, most of the walls are uncovered red brick. But in the chancel, there's a lot of alabaster, a beautiful stone, used for decoration. The columns, called piers, that separate the nave from the aisles are also made of brick. They have stone tops called capitals. A famous expert, Nikolaus Pevsner, said their unique shape was "a true innovation."
Special Features and Art
The church has some amazing fittings. There's an alabaster lectern (where readings are given) and a pulpit (where sermons are preached). English Heritage says these are the most impressive parts of the church. They are made of pink and grey alabaster and have the same dog-tooth patterns and corbels (supporting brackets).
There's also a tall, pointed reredos (a screen behind the altar). It shows a picture of Jesus on the cross. This was made in 1895 by Harry Hems, following James Brooks's designs. On the chancel wall, you can see three sedilia (seats for clergy) and a piscina (a basin for washing sacred vessels).
Northwest of the church, you'll find the old church hall and vicarage (the vicar's house). These buildings might also have been designed by James Brooks. The hall has some Gothic Revival details, like its pointed-arch windows. The vicarage also shows the Early English Gothic Revival style.
St Peter's Church Today
St Peter's Church was given a special status by English Heritage on September 14, 1976. It is listed at Grade II*. This means it's a "particularly important" building with "more than special interest." As of 2001, it was one of 13 Grade II* listed buildings in Hastings.
Other important churches in St Leonards-on-Sea with high listed status include St John the Evangelist's and Christ Church. Many other churches in the town are listed at Grade II, which is also important.
The church's original parish covered a large area in the north of St Leonards-on-Sea. This area included landmarks like St Leonards Warrior Square railway station, Warrior Gardens, and parts of Alexandra Park.
As mentioned, the Diocese of Chichester declared the church no longer needed for Anglican services from November 1, 2011. However, since 2010, Sonrise Church, an Evangelical Christian group, has been using the building. They officially registered the church for weddings in February 2016.
Sonrise Church started small in St Leonards-on-Sea in September 2000. As it grew, it used bigger buildings in Hastings, including the former St Mary-in-the-Castle Church. Finally, in 2010, Sonrise Church was able to move into St Peter's Church. While it is now an independent church, Sonrise Church is part of the Evangelical Alliance.
See also
