Church in the Wood, Hollington
Encyclopedia
Church in the Wood, officially known as St Leonard's Church and originally as St Rumbold's Church, is an Anglican
church in the Hollington area of the town and borough
of Hastings
, one of six local government districts in the English county of East Sussex
. Although Hollington is now a large suburb, consisting mostly of postwar residential development, the church has stood in isolation in the middle of an ancient wood since it was founded in the 13th century—almost certainly as the successor to an 11th-century chapel. Restoration
work in the Victorian era
has given the Early English Gothic-style building its present appearance, but some medieval work remains. Legends and miraculous events have been associated with the church, and its secluded situation has been praised by writers including Charles Lamb
. English Heritage
has listed the building at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance.
of Hollington (also spelt Horintune, Holintun, Horintone, Halinton and Halyngtone early in its existence) existed at the time of the Domesday survey
in 1086: before the Norman conquest of England
the land was held by Godwin, Earl of Wessex
and another lord, Alstan, and amounted to 4½ hides
. Afterwards it passed to Robert, Count of Eu. The manor house
and village (a scattered, mostly rural settlement rather than a nucleated village
) were 2.5 miles (4 km) northwest of Hastings and a similar distance north of St Leonards-on-Sea
on a ridge of high land.
No chapel or church was mentioned in the Domesday survey, but the will of a later Count of Eu written in 1139 states that one existed on the present site in 1090, suggesting possible pre-Norman
origins. There were two other places of worship in the parish at the time—a church in the manor of Filsham, and another chapel at Wilting. Filsham was the more important manor, but its church (and the chapel at Wilting) had disappeared by the time Pope Nicholas IV
ordered a census of all places of worship for taxation purposes in 1291. (Wilting's probably disappeared in the early 12th century, although a field and a wood in the area still bear the chapel's name.) A suggested reason for the isolation of the chapel—which was about 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) from the nearest house until after World War II—was that the ownership of the manor transferred at an early date to the Lord of the Manor
of nearby Crowhurst
, who abandoned Hollington's manor house and the surrounding area because they were superfluous. The chapel, standing nearby, was then the only building still in use, and a wood grew up around it.
The chapel is known to have been replaced by a church in the mid-13th century. The first mention of a vicar was in 1288, but the first whose name has been recorded was John de Levenyngton, who moved to All Saints Church in Hastings Old Town
in 1344.
The dedication to St Leonard
came about over the course of many years by mistaken association with a former church of that dedication. In 1291, a St Leonard's Church was one of seven medieval churches recorded in Hastings, along with St Margaret's, St Michael's, St Peter's, St Andrew's, St Clement's and All Saints. Only the last two survive in the 21st century, and St Leonard's Church—situated near Norman Road in present-day St Leonards-on-Sea
—was lost in the early 15th century (no later than 1428). Thereafter, it became a "free chapel" in Hollington's parish, and its former parishioners travelled to Hollington to worship. The original dedication of Church in the Wood, first recorded in 1562, was to St Rumbold. Gradually over the next 150 years, the name "St Leonard's Church" began to be applied to it; the first record of this was in 1712. From the mid-19th century, the epithet "Church in the Wood" gained popularity after James Burton founded a new St Leonard's Church in the centre of his St Leonards-on-Sea resort and a second church (St John the Evangelist's) was established in Hollington.
The church continued to serve the parish despite its isolation, but it declined into a poor structural state by the mid-19th century: in 1834 it was described as "in such a general state of decay as to make any attempt to repair it inadvisable". Sir Charles Montolieu Lamb (no relation to the writer Charles Lamb
), who lived at Beauport Park
, a nearby mansion, wanted the church to be closed and a replacement built nearer his land, but parishioners demanded that the ancient church be repaired instead. Work started in 1847 and continued for nearly 20 years: the church closed for a time in 1861 while repairs were made, then Matilda Dampner paid for a complete restoration in 1865 to commemorate her parents. The church closed again while this was carried out, and reopened in 1866. The renovation was so substantial that it gave the church a mostly Victorian appearance, and only a few fragments of Norman-era fabric
remained.
Church in the Wood's parish was reduced in size in 1870 when some of its territory was given to the newly built St John the Evangelist's Church. Hollington became part of the Borough of Hastings in 1897. After this, little change occurred in the church itself, although a lychgate
was built at the entrance to the churchyard in 1937, general repairs were made in 1964 and an extension was added in 1977 to form a parish room and vestry
. The churchyard is large and has been used for centuries—the first recorded burial took place in 1606, and the oldest surviving gravestone dates from 1678—and it is the last remaining private burial ground in the Borough of Hastings.
Hollington grew substantially in the 19th and 20th centuries, in line with the rest of Hastings. The population was 338 in 1831, 3,677 in 1931 and about 7,500 in 1939. Nevertheless, it retained its village character until the 1960s, when the borough council selected it as the site for a large council estate
. The expansion of the 1920s and 1930s had been driven by council housing, and in 1962 the council proposed to continue and extend this scheme by demolishing much of the old village and laying out a large housing estate. More private and council housing has since been added, and Hollington has now lost its rural setting. The ancient woodland around the church has been preserved, though, and is one of six nature reserves in the borough of Hastings.
of Church in the Wood defines its present appearance. The only surviving work from the medieval era is in the west and north walls of the nave and in the tower, where some stonework, timbers and an ancient bell survive. The church is built of stone rubble
, the roof is tiled, and the pyramid-shaped cap on the tower is tile-hung; it was originally weatherboarded
. The bell, cast between 1371 and 1392, is the oldest in Hastings and one of the oldest in Sussex.
The plan includes a nave of three bays
, a chancel (rebuilt in 1865 at a lower height, and having two bays), an ornate chancel arch (added at the same time), a low two-stage bell tower
at the west end, a vestry
, a porch and a modern parish hall. The stone used is mostly locally quarried bluestone
with some dressings of Bath
and Caen stone
.
The architectural style is Early English Gothic. The east window is a three-light lancet
with tracery
in the Decorated Gothic style. Jean-Baptiste Capronnier
added a stained glass
depiction of the Resurrection
to it in 1873. Faith and Hope are depicted in an 1886 window in the south side, and Charity is shown in a north-wall window of 1875. These were probably by the Clayton and Bell
firm.
and the builders. Every night, the work carried out the previous day would be destroyed and the materials taken away. A voice spoke to the builders, claiming that the site belonged to the Devil and demanding the church be built elsewhere. The church was successfully rebuilt on a new site to the Devil's liking, and a wood grew around it to conceal it (either from the Devil's influence or to hide it from the parishioners). The legend probably dates from the Middle Ages.
A miracle
was attributed to a former vicar of the church in 1488. It is said that he was robbed by three men while on his way to conduct a service, and had his tongue and eyes cut out to stop him recognising or describing the robbers. His sight and speech were purportedly restored in time for him to give evidence and bring them to justice.
Nationally known and local writers have frequently remarked on the solitude and visual appeal of Church in the Wood. A description of 1777 noted that although "the graveyard now contains many handsome monuments ... it still retains something of the sequestered situation ... in the middle of a wood". A description from 1874 stated simply that "the Church is picturesquely situated in the heart of a romantic wood, having no hut or house of any kind within a quarter of a mile". Diplock's Hastings Guidebook of 1845 stated "[i]t is the singularity of [its] situation, more than anything in the building itself, that generally attracts visitors ... it looks as if having been forsaken by all human visitants, a thicket had grown up and enclosed it like the Castle of the Sleeping Beauty
in the old fairy tale". London essayist Charles Lamb
wrote the best-known description after visiting Hastings in 1823:
on 19 January 1951; this defines it as a "nationally important" building of "special interest". As of February 2001, it was one of 521 Grade II listed buildings, and 535 listed buildings of all grades, in the borough of Hastings.
The parish of St Leonard includes a second Anglican church—the modern St Anne's Church on Chambers Road (at 50.8723°N 0.5434°W). This was built over several years from 1956 by the Brighton
-based firm Denman & Sons
to serve the rapidly expanding council estate
west of the Battle Road. The approximate boundaries of the parish are Battle Road, between the borough boundary in the north and Hollington Old Lane; the residential streets between Hollington and neighbouring Silverhill; the railway line
between West St Leonards
and Crowhurst
railway stations (including some of the rural land west of it); and Breadsell Lane.
There is one service every Sunday at 10.30am at Church in the Wood and one every Sunday at 9.30am at St Anne's Church, except in months with five Sundays; on these occasions, the churches hold a joint service.
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church in the Hollington area of the town and borough
Borough status in the United Kingdom
Borough status in the United Kingdom is granted by royal charter to local government districts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The status is purely honorary, and does not give any additional powers to the council or inhabitants of the district...
of Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
, one of six local government districts in the English county of East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
. Although Hollington is now a large suburb, consisting mostly of postwar residential development, the church has stood in isolation in the middle of an ancient wood since it was founded in the 13th century—almost certainly as the successor to an 11th-century chapel. Restoration
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
work in the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
has given the Early English Gothic-style building its present appearance, but some medieval work remains. Legends and miraculous events have been associated with the church, and its secluded situation has been praised by writers including Charles Lamb
Charles Lamb
Charles Lamb was an English essayist, best known for his Essays of Elia and for the children's book Tales from Shakespeare, which he produced with his sister, Mary Lamb . Lamb has been referred to by E.V...
. English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
has listed the building at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance.
History
The manorManorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Hollington (also spelt Horintune, Holintun, Horintone, Halinton and Halyngtone early in its existence) existed at the time of the Domesday survey
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
in 1086: before the Norman conquest of England
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
the land was held by Godwin, Earl of Wessex
Godwin, Earl of Wessex
Godwin of Wessex , was one of the most powerful lords in England under the Danish king Cnut the Great and his successors. Cnut made him the first Earl of Wessex...
and another lord, Alstan, and amounted to 4½ hides
Hide (unit)
The hide was originally an amount of land sufficient to support a household, but later in Anglo-Saxon England became a unit used in assessing land for liability to "geld", or land tax. The geld would be collected at a stated rate per hide...
. Afterwards it passed to Robert, Count of Eu. The manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
and village (a scattered, mostly rural settlement rather than a nucleated village
Nucleated village
A nucleated village is one of the main types of settlement pattern found in England and other parts of the world. It is one of the terms used by landscape historians to classify settlements. An idealised village, in which the houses cluster around a central church which is often close to the...
) were 2.5 miles (4 km) northwest of Hastings and a similar distance north of St Leonards-on-Sea
St Leonards-on-Sea
St Leonards-on-Sea is part of Hastings, East Sussex, England, lying immediately to the west of the centre. The original part of the settlement was laid out in the early 19th century as a new town: a place of elegant houses designed for the well-off; it also included a central public garden, a...
on a ridge of high land.
No chapel or church was mentioned in the Domesday survey, but the will of a later Count of Eu written in 1139 states that one existed on the present site in 1090, suggesting possible pre-Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
origins. There were two other places of worship in the parish at the time—a church in the manor of Filsham, and another chapel at Wilting. Filsham was the more important manor, but its church (and the chapel at Wilting) had disappeared by the time Pope Nicholas IV
Pope Nicholas IV
Pope Nicholas IV , born Girolamo Masci, was Pope from February 22, 1288 to April 4, 1292. A Franciscan friar, he had been legate to the Greeks under Pope Gregory X in 1272, succeeded Bonaventure as Minister General of his religious order in 1274, was made Cardinal Priest of Santa Prassede and...
ordered a census of all places of worship for taxation purposes in 1291. (Wilting's probably disappeared in the early 12th century, although a field and a wood in the area still bear the chapel's name.) A suggested reason for the isolation of the chapel—which was about 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) from the nearest house until after World War II—was that the ownership of the manor transferred at an early date to the Lord of the Manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
of nearby Crowhurst
Crowhurst, East Sussex
Crowhurst is an isolated village situated five miles north-west of Hastings in East Sussex. It has a parish council and is located within the Rother District Council.-History:...
, who abandoned Hollington's manor house and the surrounding area because they were superfluous. The chapel, standing nearby, was then the only building still in use, and a wood grew up around it.
The chapel is known to have been replaced by a church in the mid-13th century. The first mention of a vicar was in 1288, but the first whose name has been recorded was John de Levenyngton, who moved to All Saints Church in Hastings Old Town
Hastings Old Town
Hastings Old Town is an area in Hastings roughly corresponding to the extent of the town prior to the nineteenth century. It lies mainly within the eastern-most valley of the current town...
in 1344.
The dedication to St Leonard
Leonard of Noblac
Leonard of Noblac or of Limoges or de Noblet , is a Frankish saint closely associated with the town and abbey of Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, in Haute-Vienne, in the Limousin of France.-Traditional biography:According to the romance that...
came about over the course of many years by mistaken association with a former church of that dedication. In 1291, a St Leonard's Church was one of seven medieval churches recorded in Hastings, along with St Margaret's, St Michael's, St Peter's, St Andrew's, St Clement's and All Saints. Only the last two survive in the 21st century, and St Leonard's Church—situated near Norman Road in present-day St Leonards-on-Sea
St Leonards-on-Sea
St Leonards-on-Sea is part of Hastings, East Sussex, England, lying immediately to the west of the centre. The original part of the settlement was laid out in the early 19th century as a new town: a place of elegant houses designed for the well-off; it also included a central public garden, a...
—was lost in the early 15th century (no later than 1428). Thereafter, it became a "free chapel" in Hollington's parish, and its former parishioners travelled to Hollington to worship. The original dedication of Church in the Wood, first recorded in 1562, was to St Rumbold. Gradually over the next 150 years, the name "St Leonard's Church" began to be applied to it; the first record of this was in 1712. From the mid-19th century, the epithet "Church in the Wood" gained popularity after James Burton founded a new St Leonard's Church in the centre of his St Leonards-on-Sea resort and a second church (St John the Evangelist's) was established in Hollington.
The church continued to serve the parish despite its isolation, but it declined into a poor structural state by the mid-19th century: in 1834 it was described as "in such a general state of decay as to make any attempt to repair it inadvisable". Sir Charles Montolieu Lamb (no relation to the writer Charles Lamb
Charles Lamb
Charles Lamb was an English essayist, best known for his Essays of Elia and for the children's book Tales from Shakespeare, which he produced with his sister, Mary Lamb . Lamb has been referred to by E.V...
), who lived at Beauport Park
Beauport Park
Beauport Park is a house near Hastings, East Sussex, England. It is located at the western end of the ridge of hills sheltering Hastings from the north and east.-Early history:...
, a nearby mansion, wanted the church to be closed and a replacement built nearer his land, but parishioners demanded that the ancient church be repaired instead. Work started in 1847 and continued for nearly 20 years: the church closed for a time in 1861 while repairs were made, then Matilda Dampner paid for a complete restoration in 1865 to commemorate her parents. The church closed again while this was carried out, and reopened in 1866. The renovation was so substantial that it gave the church a mostly Victorian appearance, and only a few fragments of Norman-era fabric
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
remained.
Church in the Wood's parish was reduced in size in 1870 when some of its territory was given to the newly built St John the Evangelist's Church. Hollington became part of the Borough of Hastings in 1897. After this, little change occurred in the church itself, although a lychgate
Lychgate
A lychgate, also spelled lichgate, lycugate, or as two separate words lych gate, is a gateway covered with a roof found at the entrance to a traditional English or English-style churchyard.-Name:...
was built at the entrance to the churchyard in 1937, general repairs were made in 1964 and an extension was added in 1977 to form a parish room and vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
. The churchyard is large and has been used for centuries—the first recorded burial took place in 1606, and the oldest surviving gravestone dates from 1678—and it is the last remaining private burial ground in the Borough of Hastings.
Hollington grew substantially in the 19th and 20th centuries, in line with the rest of Hastings. The population was 338 in 1831, 3,677 in 1931 and about 7,500 in 1939. Nevertheless, it retained its village character until the 1960s, when the borough council selected it as the site for a large council estate
Council house
A council house, otherwise known as a local authority house, is a form of public or social housing. The term is used primarily in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Council houses were built and operated by local councils to supply uncrowded, well-built homes on secure tenancies at...
. The expansion of the 1920s and 1930s had been driven by council housing, and in 1962 the council proposed to continue and extend this scheme by demolishing much of the old village and laying out a large housing estate. More private and council housing has since been added, and Hollington has now lost its rural setting. The ancient woodland around the church has been preserved, though, and is one of six nature reserves in the borough of Hastings.
Architecture
The 19th-century restorationVictorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
of Church in the Wood defines its present appearance. The only surviving work from the medieval era is in the west and north walls of the nave and in the tower, where some stonework, timbers and an ancient bell survive. The church is built of stone rubble
Rubble
Rubble is broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture. This word is closely connected in derivation with "rubbish", which was formerly also applied to what we now call "rubble". Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as brash...
, the roof is tiled, and the pyramid-shaped cap on the tower is tile-hung; it was originally weatherboarded
Weatherboarding
Weatherboarding is the cladding or ‘siding’ of a house consisting of long thin timber boards that overlap one another, either vertically or horizontally on the outside of the wall. They are usually of rectangular section with parallel sides...
. The bell, cast between 1371 and 1392, is the oldest in Hastings and one of the oldest in Sussex.
The plan includes a nave of three bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
, a chancel (rebuilt in 1865 at a lower height, and having two bays), an ornate chancel arch (added at the same time), a low two-stage bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
at the west end, a vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
, a porch and a modern parish hall. The stone used is mostly locally quarried bluestone
Bluestone
Bluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of dimension or building stone varieties, including:*a feldspathic sandstone in the U.S. and Canada;*limestone in the Shenandoah Valley in the U.S...
with some dressings of Bath
Bath Stone
Bath Stone is an Oolitic Limestone comprising granular fragments of calcium carbonate. Originally obtained from the Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines under Combe Down, Somerset, England, its warm, honey colouring gives the World Heritage City of Bath, England its distinctive appearance...
and Caen stone
Caen stone
Caen stone or Pierre de Caen, is a light creamy-yellow Jurassic limestone quarried in northwestern France near the city of Caen.The limestone is a fine grained oolitic limestone formed in shallow water lagoons in the Bathonian Age about 167 million years ago...
.
The architectural style is Early English Gothic. The east window is a three-light lancet
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
with tracery
Tracery
In architecture, Tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out.-Plate tracery:...
in the Decorated Gothic style. Jean-Baptiste Capronnier
Jean-Baptiste Capronnier
Jean-Baptiste Capronnier was a Belgian stained glass painter. Born in Brussels in 1814, he had much to do with the modern revival of glass-painting, and first made his reputation by his study of the old methods of workmanship, and his clever restorations of old examples, and copies made for the...
added a stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
depiction of the Resurrection
Resurrection of Jesus
The Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus states that Jesus returned to bodily life on the third day following his death by crucifixion. It is a key element of Christian faith and theology and part of the Nicene Creed: "On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures"...
to it in 1873. Faith and Hope are depicted in an 1886 window in the south side, and Charity is shown in a north-wall window of 1875. These were probably by the Clayton and Bell
Clayton and Bell
Clayton and Bell was one of the most prolific and proficient workshops of English stained glass during the latter half of the 19th century. The partners were John Richard Clayton and Alfred Bell . The company was founded in 1855 and continued until 1993...
firm.
Legends and portrayals
The location of Church in the Wood is explained by a story (also attributed in various forms to other churches in Sussex) involving a battle between the DevilSatan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
and the builders. Every night, the work carried out the previous day would be destroyed and the materials taken away. A voice spoke to the builders, claiming that the site belonged to the Devil and demanding the church be built elsewhere. The church was successfully rebuilt on a new site to the Devil's liking, and a wood grew around it to conceal it (either from the Devil's influence or to hide it from the parishioners). The legend probably dates from the Middle Ages.
A miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
was attributed to a former vicar of the church in 1488. It is said that he was robbed by three men while on his way to conduct a service, and had his tongue and eyes cut out to stop him recognising or describing the robbers. His sight and speech were purportedly restored in time for him to give evidence and bring them to justice.
Nationally known and local writers have frequently remarked on the solitude and visual appeal of Church in the Wood. A description of 1777 noted that although "the graveyard now contains many handsome monuments ... it still retains something of the sequestered situation ... in the middle of a wood". A description from 1874 stated simply that "the Church is picturesquely situated in the heart of a romantic wood, having no hut or house of any kind within a quarter of a mile". Diplock's Hastings Guidebook of 1845 stated "[i]t is the singularity of [its] situation, more than anything in the building itself, that generally attracts visitors ... it looks as if having been forsaken by all human visitants, a thicket had grown up and enclosed it like the Castle of the Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault or Little Briar Rose by the Brothers Grimm is a classic fairytale involving a beautiful princess, enchantment, and a handsome prince...
in the old fairy tale". London essayist Charles Lamb
Charles Lamb
Charles Lamb was an English essayist, best known for his Essays of Elia and for the children's book Tales from Shakespeare, which he produced with his sister, Mary Lamb . Lamb has been referred to by E.V...
wrote the best-known description after visiting Hastings in 1823:
The church today
Church in the Wood was listed at Grade II by English HeritageEnglish Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
on 19 January 1951; this defines it as a "nationally important" building of "special interest". As of February 2001, it was one of 521 Grade II listed buildings, and 535 listed buildings of all grades, in the borough of Hastings.
The parish of St Leonard includes a second Anglican church—the modern St Anne's Church on Chambers Road (at 50.8723°N 0.5434°W). This was built over several years from 1956 by the Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
-based firm Denman & Sons
John Leopold Denman
John Leopold Denman was an architect from the English seaside resort of Brighton, now part of the city of Brighton and Hove. He had a prolific career in the area during the 20th century, both on his own and as part of the Denman & Son firm in partnership with his son John Bluet Denman. ...
to serve the rapidly expanding council estate
Council house
A council house, otherwise known as a local authority house, is a form of public or social housing. The term is used primarily in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Council houses were built and operated by local councils to supply uncrowded, well-built homes on secure tenancies at...
west of the Battle Road. The approximate boundaries of the parish are Battle Road, between the borough boundary in the north and Hollington Old Lane; the residential streets between Hollington and neighbouring Silverhill; the railway line
Hastings Line
The Hastings Line is a railway line in Kent and East Sussex linking Hastings with the main town of Tunbridge Wells, and from there into London via Sevenoaks.-Openings:The line was opened by the South Eastern Railway in main three stages: – :...
between West St Leonards
West St Leonards railway station
West St Leonards railway station is on the main London - Tunbridge Wells - Hastings line in East Sussex, United Kingdom, and is one of four stations that serve Hastings...
and Crowhurst
Crowhurst railway station
Crowhurst railway station is on the main London - Tunbridge Wells - Hastings line in East Sussex in England, and serves Crowhurst. Train services are provided by Southeastern.- History :...
railway stations (including some of the rural land west of it); and Breadsell Lane.
There is one service every Sunday at 10.30am at Church in the Wood and one every Sunday at 9.30am at St Anne's Church, except in months with five Sundays; on these occasions, the churches hold a joint service.