Hastings Norman Churches Part II - All Saints Church

It's a while since I wrote about St Clements Church (blog), one of the two remaining Norman churches in Hastings, so here is my rather delayed blog about the Grade II listed All Saints Church at the top of All Saints Street and below the East Hill.

An All Saints Church appears to have existed in Hastings from as far back as the 13th century, and maybe even earlier, but that church was damaged in the French raids of 1339 and 1377 and had to be rebuilt. All Saints may have been rebuilt on the same site, or close by, either would seem likely, but I cannot find any provenance giving evidence of exactly where the older church was situated.

All Saints was rebuilt of stone and flint between 1417 and 1430, in the Perpendicular Gothic style with chequered stone parapets and tiled roofs, and the exterior is mostly early 15th century in appearance. The tower is substantial with three stages and an embattled parapet in chequerboard flintwork. A large graveyard surrounds the church.

Although restored by Butterfield in 1870, the interior architecture is also mostly genuine 15th century, that is the nave, chancel, north and south aisles, and above the chancel arch is a 15th century 'doom' painting of the Last Judgement with Christ painted seated on rainbows. From the 19th century are a timber and stone pulpit, large reredos extending up either side of the East window, windows, and choir stalls with open arcaded fronts, foliage carving and kneeling angels on the arms. For more details, see the British Listed Buildings website, where there is plenty more information!

An interesting event of the English Civil War is celebrated by a plaque at the bottom of the stairs up to the church, when Parliamentary forces on 9th July 1643, under the leadership of Colonel Herbert Morley of Glynde (then MP for Lewes, later MP for Sussex, and for Rye) and meeting no resistance, took Hastings from Royalist control and captured all weaponry. The rector of All Saints ran away, but was caught and thrown into jail, and that night some Parliamentary troops were billeted in the church.

More recently, in June this year, the Cyril and Lilian Bishop was pulled up All Saints Street to its resting birth below the church (see blog), you can't miss either, though this photograph was from before she arrived! More photographs elsewhere, eg this blog.