Diameter: 15" Bell 1 of 1
Founded by Gillett & Johnston 1921
Dove Bell ID: 55554 Tower ID: 20980 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Holtye: St Peter
Overview
Grid reference: TQ 456 392
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
3-bay nave with lobby and belcote, 2-bay chancel, south vestry.
Dimensions:
Nave roughly c 12m (40ft) x 6m (20 ft), chancel 5m long.
Description of Archaeology and History
Built in 1892 as a chapel-of-ease of Hammerwood, replacing an earlier church (originally within Hartfield parish) of 1834 on the site by William Moseley. This was a simple Gothick building, prints showing it are kept in the church. Oswald Augustus Smith of Hammerwood House (commemorated in the church) financed this new church, Hammerwood St Stephen and the Almshouses in Holtye. It was designed by Lacey W Ridge (according to Goodhart-Rendel and Pevsner), architect and surveyor to the diocese and responsible for several churches and restorations in the area. He was assistant to Benjamin Ferrey for a time, but does not enjoy anything like the same status or reputation. He also built Ashurstwood Christ Church nearby two years later. Of his churches Brighton St Albans and Kingston Buci St Giles have also recently been considered for redundancy.
The Sussex Weald had been exploited for its wood and iron ores since at least the Iron Age, This became an industry under the Romans. An iron-working settlement has been identified in a field called “Blacklands” on Great Cansiron Farm, 1 mile west of the London-Lewes Roman road and less than 1 mile west of the church. This area was used for iron founding until the early 19th century (there are bloomery sites in nearby Hammer Wood, the name deriving from the industry) and in the 17th and 18th centuries cannons and other ordnance were made here. The Historic Environment Record should therefore be consulted before any development of the site is proposed.
Exterior Description
This is quite a bold design by this architect, whose work has not generally been well thought of. The main feature of the church is at the west end where there is a square, flat-roofed lobby from which spring flying buttresses to the west wall. The springing is nicely handled, the angle buttresses to the west end terminating in moulded caps which anchor the flying buttresses.
The entrance to the church is through identical ornate doorways in the north and west walls of the lobby (only the north door is used), with a continuously moulded pointed arch of two orders, the outer order carried by one order of engaged columns with moulded caps. Nice leafy carving to the spandrels within the square frame around the doorway. There is a heavy shouldered belcote for one bell at the nave gable, a notable feature in itself and large enough to have its own louvred lancet and a trefoil panel in the head, under gablets on the gable and a brass weathercock.
The style of the church is basically Early English, with cusped lancets and some stylistically later detailing. There are twin lancets to the west end with engaged columns and foliate capitals, a similar triple lancet to the chancel east window, pointed 2-lights with alternately trefoils and sexfoils in the head to the nave and single lancets to the chancel side walls and lobby south wall.
There are buttresses of two weatherings to each bay, those in the chancel and nave west end terminate in gablets. The chancel is set lower than the nave, and there are small turrets with conical caps like those at the west end rising from the buttresses at the intersection. This feature is also seen at Ridge’s church at Turners Hill near Crawley (St Leonard, built 1894), supporting the accreditation to him. There are simple stone cross finials to each gable. The vestry is a significant feature, with a tall stone chimney rising from the south gable. It has a 2-light plate tracery window in the south wall and a rectangular door in the east. Cellar underneath.
Building Fabric and Features
Nave
19th century 3-bay
Bellcote
19th century
Chancel
19th century 2-bay
Vestry
19th century south
Building Materials
Sandstone
19th century Roughly coursed and pecked Wealden sandstone
Bath Stone
19th century dressings
Timber
19th century roof structure
Tile
19th century roof covering
Interior
Interior Description
One enters the nave through double doors with glazed panels within a doorway with depressed arched head. The interior has whitewashed walls, clearly suffering from damp penetration around the chancel arch. There are many decorative features which again show that money was available for better than average furnishings and fittings and carved detail, though nothing is exceptional.
The nave is fully pewed with light-stained pine benches with panelled backs and moulded ends, matching choir stalls on the north side with poppyheads. There is a dado of glazed tiles set in a diamond pattern, which continue around the walls of the chancel below a mosaic reredos across the whole east wall, in turn below stained glass windows within rere-arches above. The chancel is demarcated by a broad moulded and pointed Early English chancel arch taken down to an external order of attached columns and an inner order with consoles.
The vestry on the south side of the chancel is defined by a plain wooden screen, inset doorway with glazed panel. The open timber roof of the nave (a bat-roost) is a crown-post construction, the tie-beams with corner struts, taken down to moulded foliate corbels. The chancel has a plain waggon roof. There are woodblock floors to the nave, with quarry tiles in the lobby and chancel. Here is also a mosaic set into the floor, with Alpha, Omega and Chi-Ro and Latin inscription in memory of Charles Evans, 1896.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
19th century oak table
Reredos
19th century Mosaic and opus sectile triptych of Christ and disciples with the title underneath “Feed my sheep” flanked by panels with the Decalogue. By Powells of Whitefriars, made 1892 to cartoons by H W Lonsdale, an important artist particularly known for his work with Burges at Cardiff Castle and elsewhere. All within a rectangular architectural frame, part of the fabric.
Pulpit
19th century The pulpit is of pine, hexagonal with unusual blind tracery panels.
Lectern
19th century Wooden lectern with elaborate Gothic carving.
Font (component)
19th century Stone font, round and in 13th-century style, heavily moulded with marble corner columns.
Stained Glass (window)
20th century • East window by Richard Hancock, Crucifixion with the three Marys in the central light and St Peter and Luke in the side lights, dedicated by 1st Baronet of Holtye James Goodhart and his wife Emma in 1917. • North chancel wall, eastern lancet depicting St Peter, dedicated in memory of Kathleen Farrant, died 1925. By Jones & Willis. • The west window has decorative glass, roundels with the symbols of the Four Evangelists.
Plaque (component)
20th century • North chancel wall Square white marble plaque in brown frame in memory of Clement Coleby Woodland, vicar of Hammerwood, died 1907. • Identical monument to Guy Oswald Smith, son of Oswald A Smith “by whose munificence this church was erected”, died 13th July 1928, also of his brother Rupert Oswald died 19th July 1928, given by “their remaining brother”. What happened here? • Identical tablet under the west window in memory of Rose Sofia Smith, recording the rebuilding of the church in 1892 in her memory by her husband Oswald A Smith of Hammerwood Lodge. • Long grey tablet stone with coat of arms and medals in memory of Frederic Charles Francis Goodhart Lt 1st Battn the Royal Sussex Regiment who died in Jerusalem after being wounded on the road to Jericho on active service in 1937.
Organ (component)
20th century Electronic organ given in 1983.
Rail
19th century Wrought iron with wooden hand rail.
Cross
20th century Wooden cross on the north nave wall in memory of L C F Whidborne 3rd Battn Coldstream Guards, who died of wounds received in action 1919.
Bells
Portable Furnishings and Artworks
Registers are held at Hammerwood.
Churchyard
Grid reference: TQ 456 392
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Sources
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