St Wilfrid's Church, Hailsham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Wilfrid's Church
The 2015 (left) and 1955 (right) church buildings from the northwest, seen in 2016
50°51′38″N 0°15′21″E / 50.8605°N 0.2557°E / 50.8605; 0.2557
Location	South Road, Hailsham, East Sussex BN27 3JG
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	saintsgeorgeandwilfrid.co.uk
History
Status	Church
Founded	1922
Founder(s)	Mgr Arthur Cocks
Dedication	Wilfrid
Consecrated	21 April 2016 (third church)
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	First church: Fr Alexis Hauber Second church: Henry Bingham Towner Third church: Simon Franks of Innerdale Hudson Architects
Style	First church: Vernacular Second church: Vernacular Third church: Modern
Years built	First church: 1922 Second church: 1954–55 Third church: 2014–15
Administration
Parish	Hailsham and Polegate
Deanery	Eastbourne
Diocese	Arundel and Brighton

St Wilfrid's Church is a Catholic church in Hailsham, East Sussex, England. The church you see today was finished in 2015. It's actually the third church building on this spot. Before it, there was a small hall from 1922 and a larger church from 1955. The land has been owned by a Catholic family since the 1800s.

For a long time, there weren't many Catholics in Hailsham. People had to go to Mass in simple places. Sometimes it was in private homes. From 1917, they even used a part of a stable loft at a brewery. More and more people started coming after the first church opened. In 1957, Hailsham became its own parish, meaning it had its own priest and church. Before that, it was part of a much larger church in Eastbourne. As Hailsham grew quickly after World War II, more Catholics moved there. This led to the building of the bigger, newer church.

Today, the Hailsham parish also includes nearby Polegate. It is now called "Hailsham and Polegate". St Wilfrid's Church holds two Sunday Masses each week. The parish also includes St George's Church in Polegate. Both churches are part of the Eastbourne Deanery within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton.

Early History of Catholic Worship

Hailsham is an old market town about 8 miles (13 km) north of Eastbourne. It has been a farming and industry center for hundreds of years. By the early 1900s, many different Christian groups had their own churches. But there was no place for Catholics to worship. Hailsham was part of a huge Catholic parish based in Eastbourne. In 1895, the priest there made a list of towns and how many Catholics lived in each. Hailsham, a large town, only had three known Catholics.

About 3 miles (4.8 km) from Hailsham is a village called Upper Dicker. This area had many Protestant churches. But one person living there became Catholic. In 1915, she asked the Bishop if part of her house could be used for Catholic worship. The Bishop agreed. On July 15, 1915, the first Mass was held there for her and three other people. Soon, nurses from Hellingly Hospital also started attending. The small chapel used benches from a nearby Anglican church.

Mass was celebrated in an upper room at Lynn's Brewery in Battle Road.

In 1917, a new priest, Mgr Arthur Cocks, decided Hailsham would be a better place for Mass than Upper Dicker. It was hard to find a place in Hailsham at first. There wasn't much money, and some people in town didn't like Catholics. But the Catholic resident from Upper Dicker moved to Hailsham. She arranged for a priest to say Mass at her new home.

Then, from July 28, 1917, Mgr Cocks was able to rent part of a brewery on Battle Road. This building, built in 1887, is still there today. The stables at the back had a hay-loft. This loft was divided to make a simple chapel. People reached it by a wooden staircase. Masses were held once a month, and soon more than ten people were attending.

First Permanent Church (1922)

Also in 1917, the Catholic Church found out that land on South Road was owned by a Catholic family. Mgr Cocks bought this land in 1920. He wanted to save it for a permanent church. The church borrowed money to buy the land. The Bishop said that a proper church or a hall that could become a church later must be built. This stopped Mgr Cocks from buying a cheap wooden Army hut.

The first permanent church was designed by Fr. Alexis Hauber and opened in 1922.

Work on a small hall started quickly. It was designed by Fr. Alexis Hauber, a priest from Eastbourne. The building cost about £700 and opened for worship on August 12, 1922. It was a brick building with a low roof.

More people started coming to Mass. In 1926, about 70 people attended, including Catholics from nearby Polegate and other villages. People began saving money for a larger church. By 1934, they had £1,500. But World War II started, delaying the plans.

During the war, many people moved to Eastbourne. The small church in Hailsham became too small. A public hall had to be rented for Sunday Masses. A temporary building, called a Nissen hut, was also put up in the church grounds. This helped create more space on Sundays.

Second Church (1955)

Plans for a larger church were delayed by the war. It wasn't until 1952 that Henry Bingham Towner, an architect from Uckfield, was hired. He drew up plans, and the government approved the work. The first stone for the new church was laid on June 6, 1954. The new church officially opened on May 22, 1955.

Henry Bingham Towner designed the new St Wilfrid's Church in 1955.

Bingham Towner's full design wasn't built. The church ended up as a long, narrow building with a small altar area. It also had a side room for priests and a porch. The temporary Nissen hut was taken down in 1955.

St Wilfrid's Church became its own independent parish in October 1957. It was first called "Hailsham with Hellingly". Hellingly Hospital, a large hospital, was in the parish. Mass was held there weekly until 1988.

Over the years, many improvements were made to St Wilfrid's. In 1959, a new house for the priest was built next to the church. In 1964, the church was redecorated. New Stations of the Cross (carvings showing Jesus's journey to the cross) were added. In 1966, the entrance was rebuilt as a baptistery (where baptisms happen). A new font (for baptisms) was also added. In 1970, a new altar was carved from stone. A stained glass window was also installed.

Third Church (2015)

The 1955 church could hold about 130 people. In the early 2000s, it was decided to build another new church on the same land. The 1955 building would then become a church hall. Innerdale Hudson Architects designed the new building. The Diocese approved the plan in 2013, and permission was given in 2014.

It was replaced by the present church in 2015.

Construction started in late 2014. The old 1922 church hall was used to store building materials. A temporary building was put up for a church hall during this time. By April 2015, the steel frame of the new church was in place. All outside work finished later that year.

The first Mass in the new St Wilfrid's Church was held on October 31, 2015. Many items from the old church were moved into the new one. These included the Stations of the Cross, the altar, and the font. The Bishop officially blessed the new church on April 21, 2016. The church was finished on time and within budget. Money for the church came from fundraising events and gifts from people.

Church Design

The 1954–55 church was a "pleasant little building" made of yellowish brick. It had a steep roof and was built in a simple, traditional style. It was small and humble. Its windows looked more like those of a house than a church.

The new church was designed to be wider than the old one. This meant the roof couldn't be as steep. The church has side aisles with lower ceilings and large windows. The middle part of the church curves outwards to create more space. The roof extends out over the entrance. The church is built of brick with many large windows facing the street.

Services and Administration

St Wilfrid's Church is officially registered for worship. It is also registered for weddings.

St Wilfrid's Church is part of the Hailsham and Polegate parish. This parish also includes St George's Church in Polegate. The Hailsham and Polegate parish is one of four parishes in the Eastbourne Deanery. This Deanery is one of 13 in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton.

As of 2019, one priest serves the Hailsham and Polegate parish. Mass is celebrated at St Wilfrid's on Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings. The church also offers the Sacrament of Penance (confession) weekly. Mass and confession are also held monthly at St George's Church in Polegate.

In 2005–06, the Diocese looked at all its churches. It found that St Wilfrid's Church had two Sunday Masses with about 153 people attending. The old church could seat about 130 people, though some reports said 100. The new church needed to hold at least 160 people.