By Richard Bryant, Lindfield History Project Group

All Saints Church, standing at the top of the High Street, was built in the 1300s in the Perpendicular style, as characterised by large windows with upright lines. Over the centuries the building and interior has changed and evolved to reflect changing needs.
The interior in medieval times featured a rood loft separating the Nave from the Chancel. A rood is a large crucifix, usually accompanied by the figures of the Blessed Virgin and St John placed one each side of the cross. The English Reformation and the actions of Henry VIII led to the dissolution of religious houses. The College of Canons of South Malling, who had controlled the parish for centuries, was dissolved in 1545 and their manorial lands passed into lay ownership, as did the tithes which was to be particularly detrimental in the centuries ahead.

Commissioners were appointed to ensure all traces of idolatry were removed from churches across the country. Around the 1560s the Commissioners reported the parishioners of Lindfield were ‘very blind and superstitious’, indicating some reluctance in Lindfield to acknowledge the new Protestant religion. Eventually the idolatry was removed, walls whitewashed to cover murals and the rood loft demolished in 1583 with the timbers being sold. The stairs leading from the south Transept to the rood loft were filled in: A few steps were uncovered during the 1930s. The spire was also re-shingled at the cost of 50 shillings, and this has occurred many times since but at ever increasing cost.

In 1617 William Newton of East Mascalls arranged the repair of the exterior ‘without battlements’, and this work is recognised by the inscription of ‘1617’ on the Chancel gable and can still be seen today. This was to be the last major work for 250 years during which times, without the tithes, the building gradually fell into disrepair. The church was in a poor state when Reverend Francis Sewell arrived c1840. Having recently been ordained and in possession of a moderate fortune, he soon set about re-establishing and restoring the church. At that time the Cambridge Camden Society was influential in ecclesiastical style and architecture, and their dictates were embraced by Francis Sewell.

During the 1840s Francis Sewell instigated two restorations, firstly in 1845 for the building and three years later for the interior and new pews. The churchwardens appealed for subscriptions, with a separate fund each restoration. The works were put in hand, before funding had been fully secured, with the interior fund taking precedent. This resulted in much acrimony over several years, and even a court case between the churchwardens.

The interior restoration reflected the Cambridge Camden Society’s doctrines resulting in the destruction or removal of many historic features, including an altar tomb, brass memorials and three wall paintings. Francis Sewell had lengthy correspondence with the Incorporated Church Building Society regarding new pews designed to accommodate 567 people and whether upper-class members of the congregation should be provided with hat boards on which to place their top hats. Eventually the Society provided £200 towards the cost.

Rev Francis Sewell before leaving Lindfield in 1849, the year work was completed, made a contribution towards the total costs. However, as donations from parishioners did not reach the required amount it took the parish several years to clear the deficit. Following Rev Francis Sewell’s return to Lindfield in 1857 he installed gas lighting in the church, supplied from his private gas manufacturing plant which also lit The Welkin and his St John’s School. A striking addition to the church in 1859 was the installation of the clock on the tower’s south face. Previously the clock movement had been in a building at Cawnpore that was demolished following the Indian Mutiny. Charles Kempe, the renowned stained glass artist and church furnisher, having recently moved to Lindfield following his purchase of Old Place, turned his attention to the church in the late 1870s. He promoted the need for a further restoration, with an ambition to reorder the interior with new pews, replace the old chancel screen, increase the bells and improve the heating. However, relations between Charles Kempe, the church authorities and residents on his aims were not always harmonious. His gift of a new chancel screen, after it had been made, was rejected and not accepted until long after his death.

Nave with Chancel Screen in Chancel Arch However, the need for improvements was soon generally recognised and in 1879, to accommodate heating pipes, a new wood block floor was laid. The churchwardens, in 1882, established a fund for £2500; indicating that much work, especially to the building, was still needed following Sewell’s restorations some 33 years earlier. Donations were received and many fundraising events organised, including Charles Kempe opening the grounds of Old Place for a two day Elizabethan Fiesta.

Somers Clarke Junior, a respected ecclesiastical architect, was appointed to undertake the work. His reports indicate the roof was in a dangerous condition at the time of the earlier 1840s restorations, as the walls had parted from the rafters and only temporarily secured by nails. Also that the tower and parts of the church building exposed to the south-west needed repair. Accordingly much structural work was undertaken. The Sewell renovations were more concerned with style rather than structure.

The box pews installed in 1848 were replaced, the Nave received new oak benches funded by a bazaar held at Sunte House in July 1885. Two years later similar benches were provided in the Transepts thanks to a bequest. The choir stalls were also replaced. All the seating was made by Norman and Burt of Burgess Hill. At this time the decision was taken that all seats would be free and open to all.

The increased prosperity of Lindfield during the late Victorian period is evidenced by the gifts of memorial stained glass windows and church furnishings. Collectively these enhanced the interior. The church was little changed during the first two decades of the twentieth century other than the addition of the choir vestry in 1911 and five stained glass memorial windows. Kempe’s Chancel screen, rejected by the church authorities in 1885, was accepted in 1926 when Old Place was sold by his cousin, Walter Tower. This beautiful piece of woodwork was installed in the Chancel arch.

To ensure the building was maintained in good condition a major repair programme, mainly focused on the roof, was undertaken in 1930 at the cost of £2,000. The most visible elements of this restoration were the complete reconstruction of the Chancel roof, together with the replacement of the old gas lamps with electric lights. To help pay for the reroofing an enormous fete was held on 2nd July 1930 in the gardens of Old Place. Two years later the Clergy Vestry was built.

The position of the organ installed in 1897, replacing the original 1839 organ, blocked the entry to St John’s Chapel. A generous donation by Blanche Cumberlege of Walstead Place in 1937 funded the repositioning of the organ to a new gallery at the rear of the Nave. Immediately after the Second World War, the seats in the south (Massets) Chapel were removed and it was considerably altered to provide a memorial to the village men who died during the war. The church remained largely unchanged for the next four decades.

In 1987 a comprehensive reordering of All Saints was proposed, the principle features being new and increased seating and the repositioning of the Holy Table. The proposals created considerable debate resulting in a much reduced plan being implemented in 1991. The most visible change being Kempe’s Chancel screen was moved from the Chancel arch to the rear of the Nave. The latest phase of the Aspire project, launched in 2013, to keep the building in good repair and meeting modern requirements, has recently been completed.

Back to Lindfield History Articles