All Saints Church
50°57′36″N 0°16′30″E / 50.95992°N 0.27488°E / 50.95992; 0.27488
LocationHeathfield, East Sussex
CountryEngland
DenominationChurch of England
Previous denominationRoman Catholic Church
History
StatusOpen
Architecture
Functional statusOpen
Heritage designationGrade II*
Years built14th Century

All Saints Church is a Church of England parish church in Heathfield, East Sussex, England. It was constructed in the 14th century and is a Grade II* listed building.[1]

History

The church was built in the 14th century on the location of a former church with the 13th century tower being incorporated into the new church. Stonemasons working on the church built a pub next door to act as their shelter when they were working on it.[2]

In the early 1600s, the vicar of the church was Reverend Robert Hunt. He was not popular with the local parishioners owing to him not living in the parish,[3] as well as being accused of sexual impropriety with his maid.[2] Despite being acquitted, the Archbishop of Canterbury recommended he go to the Colony of Virginia. He landed in Jamestown and conducted the first Church of England service in the colony.[2] A stained glass window commemorating this event was installed in All Saints in 1957.[4]

The church was expanded in 1823 with the addition of two side galleries with a capacity of 120, paid for by the Incorporated Society for the Enlargement of Churches.[5] It was restored in 1861 and in 1872 by an architect called J. Billing.[6] In 1917, a stained glass window to Lt-Colonel W. C. C. Ash in suffragette colours was installed after a contribution from one of his close female relatives in the north aisle.[2] It was granted Grade II* listed status in 1966.[1]

Churchyard

The churchyard contains a crypt which also dated back to the 14th century when the church was constructed.[1] The church has occasionally received grants from Heathfield and Waldron Parish Council.[7] It contains 19 military graves managed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.[8]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "THE PARISH CHURCH OF ALL SAINTS". Historic England. Retrieved 2023-01-13.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Opening times. "Old Heathfield All Saints". National Churches Trust. Retrieved 2023-01-13.
  3. ↑ "Rediscovering Reverend Hunt". Smithsonian. Retrieved 2023-01-13.
  4. ↑ Montgomery, Dennis (2007). 1607: Jamestown and the New World. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 99. ISBN 9780742569003.
  5. ↑ Horsfield, Thomas (1835). The History, Antiquities, and Topography of the County of Sussex. Vol. 1. Sussex Press. p. 576. ISBN 9780903967204.
  6. ↑ "The Parish church of All Saints, Heathfield and Waldron". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 2023-01-13.
  7. ↑ "Heathfield and Waldron Parish Council given grant to the churchyard at All Saints, Heathfield". Kent and Sussex Courier. 1980-12-12. Retrieved 2023-01-13 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Heathfield (All Saints) Churchyard". CWGC. Retrieved 2023-01-13.
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