HTH Heritage

We are proud of the rich heritage of our fantastic church building and it’s impact on the local community for the last two centuries.

We are sitting on a wealth of historic materials (parish magazines and artefacts etc) that will help us to build a picture of what life was like in Hastings. As our heritage team works through these, uncovering lost secrets, we will update this timeline.

So keep checking back to see what else has been discovered.

The Gin Shop

Henry Cousins, the author of Hastings of Bygone Days and the Present, records “there was a gin shop called the Blacksmith’s Arms on the site of Holy Trinity Church.” The Pub was run by William Woolgar who also ran Woolgar’s Smithy next door.

The America Ground

The Crown established the right to the America Ground, a piece of land once belonging to the Augustinian Priory of the Holy Trinity (where Priory meadow derives its name). The land was settled by itinerant builders who were employed to help with the development of the new town of St Leonards. The builders constructed a shanty town on the land which was also used as a ropewalk. The area was given the name The America Ground when the settlers refused to leave, hoisting the American flag as a symbol of liberty and a gesture of defiance.

St Michael’s Church

The previous parish church of St Michael was dismantled from its place up behind the White Rock Theatre to make way for the building of a new Coastguard Station. Before the new church was named after the Holy Trinity, plans had been made for it to be the new St Michael’s church. There is a nod to this potential nomenclature in the detailed stone carving of St Michael slaying the dragon (from Revelation 12:7) over the Lady Chapel.

Plans for a new church begin

Mr George Curling Hope (a local businessman) and Rev D.G. Quintin, supported by the benefactor Countess Waldegrave, call a meeting to consider providing a new church for the rapidly growing population.

Foundation stone

On the 22nd July, the first foundation stone was laid by the philanthropist Countess Sarah Waldegrave (the photo above is of this moment, the earliest known photograph of Hastings) who was married to the 8th Earl of Waldegrave. She gave £1000 to help pay for its founding (the equivalent of £116,500 in today’s money).

The Architect was Samuel Sanders Teulon, famed for his prominent Gothic Revival style.

The new Church opens

The newly built parish Church of the Holy Trinity was opened for worship, with the Rev Dr T.F. Crosse installed as the first Vicar (you can see a stone bust of him above the doors to the vestry). At this time, only the Nave had been consecrated and was used for worship whilst the chancel was still in construction until it’s completion the following year.

Sunday schools & Storms

Under the incumbency of Rev Crosse: a Sunday school was started (1860), a new drinking fountain was consecrated on the east end of the building and the chancel was opened in the same year (1862), pew rents were abolished (1872), the West Window was installed (1880), the stonework suffered some damage in the Great Storm (1884), and an appeal for funding to complete the tower was issued (1884).

Crafty additions

Upon his death, Dr Crosse was succeeded by Rev Robert E Sanderson under whose incumbency new electric lighting was installed (1889), a Rood Screen crafted by a Ghent woodworker was installed, and sculptor Thomas Earp carved the ornate chancel arch (1890), the first Parish magazine was published (1891), the octagonal vestry (now the church office) was built on the east end of the building by architect W.H. Romaine-Walker (1892), the organ was enlarged (1896), and the new alabaster pulpit was dedicated (1898).

The “Undergound” Missal

With Rev Henry E Victor taking over the incumbency of Holy Trinity the side altar in the Lady Chapel below the organ pipes was dedicated (1901), the church’s infamous Missal (an “illuminated” book used for worship services) was commissioned by Parishioner DR Gabb and designed by the “father of modern calligraphy” Edward Johnston (who was made famous for designing the London Underground typeface) was first used (1902), the existing font was recarved and the new ornate font canopy was dedicated (1903), and the aforementioned Lady Chapel was dedicated in honour of St Mary, the mother of Jesus (1908).

Remembrance

The Rev Thomas W Cook - who would become the next Suffragan Bishop of Lewes - took over as vicar and inquiries were made to finishing the tower which due to a lack of funding would never be completed (1912), the war memorial on the western end of the church crafted by students of Hastings college was dedicated (1920).

Steady decline

Over the next several decades the church was maintained by the Rev E.G. Reid (under whose tenure the organ was enlarged - 1932), the Rev J.C. Poole, the Rev R.W. Dawes (under whose tenure the church was listed Grace C by English Heritage - 1976), the Rev D. Taylor (under whose tenure the organ was restored - 1981), and the Rev Colin Tolworthy (under whose tenure the building was listed as Grade II* by English heritage - 2001). Over these last few decades the church underwent a significant period of decline with congregation numbers dwindling and the church falling further into a state of disrepair.

A new lease of life for HTH Church

After a four year interregnum - in which time the congregation dropped to a small handful of people - Sarah & Simon Larkin, at the request of Bishop of Chichester, came with a small planting team of around 20 people from St Peter’s Church in Brighton, to revitalise the church.

Signs of hope for restoration

Early in 2024, HTH Church was awarded a £479,000 grant to develop its Heritage@HTH project with a view to completely restoring and levelling up the building. A Project Coordinator was employed (Emma Kersey), and a team of specialists (picture above) were appointed including architects, interpretation planners, accessibility advisors, business managers, project managers, fundraisers, quantity surveyors, and so much more.