United Reformed Church Robertson Street - now His Place Community Church.
The Robertson Street United Congregational church by Henry Ward was built in 1884/5 and since 2013 has been in the ownership of His Place Community Church. The new owners are interested in the building and are working to ensure the preservation of this Grade 2 listed structure. For further information on His Place and views of the current interior visit their site: His Place Hastings
Latest information in December 2022 for His Place Tower Repairs is published in Hastings Online Times
The history of His Place Community Church.
His Place Community Church has been established since 1984, where we started as a house church. In 1987 we expanded and moved to a community centre. In 1994 we moved to a building in Duke Road, St Leonards on sea.
On the 1st of November 2013 we acquired the former URC church building at Robertson Street, Hastings and had our first service on the 10th of November 2013 followed by our Grand Opening Service on Saturday the 30th of November 2013.
Church Building History
OWNERSHIP:
PLAN: The church is set into the slope with a long elevation with entrances at church level on Cambridge Road, and a narrow elevation with an entrance at lower hall level from Robertson Street. It comprises a church aligned east-west with the pulpit and organ at the western end and at lower level a hall, which is now subdivided, a former Sunday school room and minister's room. At half level is a vestry leading via narrow stairs to the pulpit. (Vestry and Pulpit Not accessible to public)
Monumental stairs lead from the Robertson Street entrance to the eastern end of the church. A rear stair and stairs from the Cambridge Road entrances lead to the gallery.
EXTERIOR: Cambridge Road. In six bays, of which five bays are of two storeys and an attic storey of full, pedimented dormers, while the pedimented eastern bay is wider and taller. Bays are articulated by loosely composed Composite pilasters.
Entrances in the outer bays have segmental pediments enriched with foliate carving, supported on triple pilasters with foliate capitals and a deep entablature. Over each entrance is a plain, segmental headed fanlight flanked by enriched foliate spandrels.
Oak doors have two-over-five raised panels, some glazed in green coloured glass in small rectangular leaded panes.
Ground floor mullion and transom windows are of three round-headed lights, in eared architraves. Tall first floor windows also in eared architraves, are of two lights, with a plain transom and have enriched pediments.
The eastern bay has a round-headed tripartite window at first floor. It is richer than the adjacent windows, having a hood mould and has two central lights below a circular light flanked by single lights below foliate panels. The elevation has a continuous frieze. Above it, the eastern bay has a tall pedimented attic storey, the pediment of which is in coursed ragstone, has stone or terracotta dressings and is enriched with foliate panels and is set over a Lombardic frieze. The five adjacent bays have tall pedimented dormers supported by scrolled brackets and each has a blind oculus. Between each is an open balustrade. Above the tripartite window and at the western end of the balustrade is a spiked sphere.
Robertson Street. A narrow east-facing elevation on four storeys, in similar manner. The ground floor is in two bays with a pair of enriched arched entrances, one to the brewery yard, one to the church, all beneath a deep modillion cornice.
Church doors are of oak and part glazed. Upper floors are treated as a single bay. The first and second floors have a monumental three-light mullion and transom window rising through two storeys, flanked by paired Composite pilasters.
The window has enriched mullions and transoms, a bolection moulded frieze and an open segmental pediment framing a spiked sphere. The upper floor has a four-light round-headed tripartite window. The pediment, above a modillion cornice, is similar to that on Cambridge Road. Set back to the left is a tall stack.
INTERIOR: The church has a horseshoe-shaped gallery with a curved profile decorated in a low relief foliate pattern and supported on cast iron shafts and pierced brackets. Similarly, low relief decoration is applied to round-arched blind panels lining the upper church walls.
The western end is defined by three, large, round-arched bays, with moulded arches and prominent keystones. At both levels are single pedimented doorcases, offset within the outer bays of the west wall.
ROOF: The church roof is coved with central, ribbed and moulded, diagonally boarded panels. The soffit of the gallery balcony is also boarded. Set forward from the central bay of the west wall is a substantial raised pulpit, with a projecting lectern, reached from gallery level and set above ministers' seating and the table below, all in pine. Behind it is the organ which has painted pipes. Walls have a panelled dado with red flock panels. Seating is in curved pews with diagonally boarded backs.
The church is reached from Robertson Street by a monumental stone stair with robust rectangular carved stone newels, an open arcaded balustrade and a polished moulded rail in a darker grey stone. At the head of the stairs, a pair of doors have upper panels glazed with rectangular leaded panes of green glass, and original brass door furniture. From Cambridge Road sets of double doors, some similarly glazed, lead to entrance lobbies, also with glazed screens, from which stone stairs give access to the gallery. Stairs have ornate cast metal newels and balusters and moulded timber rails. A timber stair with similar balustrades rises from the basement to the gallery at the rear of the building.
The vestry has pine fittings which include a dado with upper panels lined in red velvet, a fireplace and overmantel, fitted cupboards, and short flights of steps to the stairwell and to the pulpit.
The lower hall, which is of lesser significance, is supported on cast iron columns. The space is now subdivided and has suspended ceilings and is of reduced interest. The former Sunday school room has fitted cupboards. The 'lounge' has a moulded ceiling and fireplace, and may be the room illustrated as the Minister's room in Charles New's commemorative book.
(The former Sunday school room is now used for Art exhibitions, children’s activities and children’s café in school holidays, meetings, language school weeks, coffee mornings, election ballot stations and much more. There is an adjourning kitchen for use by organisations hiring the hall.)
HISTORY:
* Architecture: Large urban congregational church with richly detailed exteriors and interiors by locally based architect Henry Ward;
* Plan: Complex plan responding to its relationship to the existing street plan and topography which gives emphasis to its elevations;
* Intactness: Unaltered exterior and dramatic church interior complete with fittings;
* Architect: One of a group of listed buildings by local architect Henry Ward whose work contributed to the character of late C19 and early C20 Hastings.
His Place Community Church has been established since 1984, where we started as a house church. In 1987 we expanded and moved to a community centre. In 1994 we moved to a building in Duke Road, St Leonards on sea.
On the 1st of November 2013 we acquired the former URC church building at Robertson Street, Hastings and had our first service on the 10th of November 2013 followed by our Grand Opening Service on Saturday the 30th of November 2013.
Church Building History
OWNERSHIP:
- HIS PLACE COMMUNITY CHURCH, ROBERTSON STREET – Took up ownership of United Reformed Church formerly Congregational Church, November 2013
- ROBERTSTON STREET Congregational church, was built in 1885 by Henry Ward, in a classical Mannerist manner. Replacing an earlier smaller church of 1857 which had been enlarged in 1864.
PLAN: The church is set into the slope with a long elevation with entrances at church level on Cambridge Road, and a narrow elevation with an entrance at lower hall level from Robertson Street. It comprises a church aligned east-west with the pulpit and organ at the western end and at lower level a hall, which is now subdivided, a former Sunday school room and minister's room. At half level is a vestry leading via narrow stairs to the pulpit. (Vestry and Pulpit Not accessible to public)
Monumental stairs lead from the Robertson Street entrance to the eastern end of the church. A rear stair and stairs from the Cambridge Road entrances lead to the gallery.
EXTERIOR: Cambridge Road. In six bays, of which five bays are of two storeys and an attic storey of full, pedimented dormers, while the pedimented eastern bay is wider and taller. Bays are articulated by loosely composed Composite pilasters.
Entrances in the outer bays have segmental pediments enriched with foliate carving, supported on triple pilasters with foliate capitals and a deep entablature. Over each entrance is a plain, segmental headed fanlight flanked by enriched foliate spandrels.
Oak doors have two-over-five raised panels, some glazed in green coloured glass in small rectangular leaded panes.
Ground floor mullion and transom windows are of three round-headed lights, in eared architraves. Tall first floor windows also in eared architraves, are of two lights, with a plain transom and have enriched pediments.
The eastern bay has a round-headed tripartite window at first floor. It is richer than the adjacent windows, having a hood mould and has two central lights below a circular light flanked by single lights below foliate panels. The elevation has a continuous frieze. Above it, the eastern bay has a tall pedimented attic storey, the pediment of which is in coursed ragstone, has stone or terracotta dressings and is enriched with foliate panels and is set over a Lombardic frieze. The five adjacent bays have tall pedimented dormers supported by scrolled brackets and each has a blind oculus. Between each is an open balustrade. Above the tripartite window and at the western end of the balustrade is a spiked sphere.
Robertson Street. A narrow east-facing elevation on four storeys, in similar manner. The ground floor is in two bays with a pair of enriched arched entrances, one to the brewery yard, one to the church, all beneath a deep modillion cornice.
Church doors are of oak and part glazed. Upper floors are treated as a single bay. The first and second floors have a monumental three-light mullion and transom window rising through two storeys, flanked by paired Composite pilasters.
The window has enriched mullions and transoms, a bolection moulded frieze and an open segmental pediment framing a spiked sphere. The upper floor has a four-light round-headed tripartite window. The pediment, above a modillion cornice, is similar to that on Cambridge Road. Set back to the left is a tall stack.
INTERIOR: The church has a horseshoe-shaped gallery with a curved profile decorated in a low relief foliate pattern and supported on cast iron shafts and pierced brackets. Similarly, low relief decoration is applied to round-arched blind panels lining the upper church walls.
The western end is defined by three, large, round-arched bays, with moulded arches and prominent keystones. At both levels are single pedimented doorcases, offset within the outer bays of the west wall.
ROOF: The church roof is coved with central, ribbed and moulded, diagonally boarded panels. The soffit of the gallery balcony is also boarded. Set forward from the central bay of the west wall is a substantial raised pulpit, with a projecting lectern, reached from gallery level and set above ministers' seating and the table below, all in pine. Behind it is the organ which has painted pipes. Walls have a panelled dado with red flock panels. Seating is in curved pews with diagonally boarded backs.
The church is reached from Robertson Street by a monumental stone stair with robust rectangular carved stone newels, an open arcaded balustrade and a polished moulded rail in a darker grey stone. At the head of the stairs, a pair of doors have upper panels glazed with rectangular leaded panes of green glass, and original brass door furniture. From Cambridge Road sets of double doors, some similarly glazed, lead to entrance lobbies, also with glazed screens, from which stone stairs give access to the gallery. Stairs have ornate cast metal newels and balusters and moulded timber rails. A timber stair with similar balustrades rises from the basement to the gallery at the rear of the building.
The vestry has pine fittings which include a dado with upper panels lined in red velvet, a fireplace and overmantel, fitted cupboards, and short flights of steps to the stairwell and to the pulpit.
The lower hall, which is of lesser significance, is supported on cast iron columns. The space is now subdivided and has suspended ceilings and is of reduced interest. The former Sunday school room has fitted cupboards. The 'lounge' has a moulded ceiling and fireplace, and may be the room illustrated as the Minister's room in Charles New's commemorative book.
(The former Sunday school room is now used for Art exhibitions, children’s activities and children’s café in school holidays, meetings, language school weeks, coffee mornings, election ballot stations and much more. There is an adjourning kitchen for use by organisations hiring the hall.)
HISTORY:
- The Robertson Street Congregational Church was built in 1855 to replace a smaller church which had been built in 1857 and enlarged in 1964.
- Henry Ward ARIBA (1854-1927) was articled to Wallen and Paxon before training in the atelier of M Genin in Paris.
- He was a prolific and versatile locally based architect with offices at 8 Bank Buildings, (64 Station Road), Hastings.
- He was in practice in Hastings by 1881, where he moved for his health, when he won the competition for Hastings Town Hall (listed Grade II) and went on to build the Town Hall in Bexhill. His Observer Building, also in Cambridge Road, Hastings was designed in 1914, but, interrupted by the First World War, was built in 1924.
- As well as this Congregational Church in Hastings, he designed village chapels associated with it, and Congregational churches in Bexhill and Eastbourne (1903), the latter recently listed Grade II.
- He designed most of the shops in the south-east for the department store Messrs Plummer Roddis Ltd including the premises in Robertson Street, Hastings which was completed shortly before he died.
REASONS FOR DESIGNATION AS GRADE 2 LISTED BUILDING:
* Architecture: Large urban congregational church with richly detailed exteriors and interiors by locally based architect Henry Ward;
* Plan: Complex plan responding to its relationship to the existing street plan and topography which gives emphasis to its elevations;
* Intactness: Unaltered exterior and dramatic church interior complete with fittings;
* Architect: One of a group of listed buildings by local architect Henry Ward whose work contributed to the character of late C19 and early C20 Hastings.
A charity has launched a campaign in a bid to safeguard the future of a town centre church.
His Place took over the former Robertson Street United Reformed Church, opposite ESK, in November 2014 (2013) after it had been closed for two years.
Nicola Roper, project manager, said: “His Place is able to run the venue for community use and provide social activities and low-cost food in the café for the community to access, with the knowledge that the money made from its services is used to continue the work for our community.
“The future use of this building is now a concern as over the past four years the charity has failed to raise through grants the £500,000 needed to complete essential buildings works relating to windows and masonry.
“His Place has started a year’s fundraising to raise the money required to complete the work. The reason for the stone and window damage is not a result of neglect but environmental factors relating to the war years and then more modern issues such as the acid in the air from car fumes. Once the eroding stone is replaced the plan is for the masonry to be professionally cleaned by specialist stone masonry experts. The plan following these essential works is for the charity to cover the cost of a new boiler and upgrade of the two community kitchens, of which funding would come through the continued income made through its hire activities, Opus Theatre and café.”
The project will require volunteers to collate historical artefacts, social history and so on for a new book to be produced and sold to aid funding. Sponsorship of windows, brick and more will be offered.
Rev Chris Sears said: “We have tried the Lottery route and failed twice. By securing funding through public support and our fundraising activities we will secure the future of the building for the community of Hastings and surrounding areas. We are not a community that gives up. Our charity is small, our membership is 70 people, but our determination is that of an army. We thank the public for their continued use of the organisations and services that work from His Place and look forward to meeting new supporters in times to come.”
To pledge support email [email protected] with the subject title Community Past Present and Future.
Richard Gladstone Hastings Observer Friday April 12th 2019
Nicola Roper, project manager, said: “His Place is able to run the venue for community use and provide social activities and low-cost food in the café for the community to access, with the knowledge that the money made from its services is used to continue the work for our community.
“The future use of this building is now a concern as over the past four years the charity has failed to raise through grants the £500,000 needed to complete essential buildings works relating to windows and masonry.
“His Place has started a year’s fundraising to raise the money required to complete the work. The reason for the stone and window damage is not a result of neglect but environmental factors relating to the war years and then more modern issues such as the acid in the air from car fumes. Once the eroding stone is replaced the plan is for the masonry to be professionally cleaned by specialist stone masonry experts. The plan following these essential works is for the charity to cover the cost of a new boiler and upgrade of the two community kitchens, of which funding would come through the continued income made through its hire activities, Opus Theatre and café.”
The project will require volunteers to collate historical artefacts, social history and so on for a new book to be produced and sold to aid funding. Sponsorship of windows, brick and more will be offered.
Rev Chris Sears said: “We have tried the Lottery route and failed twice. By securing funding through public support and our fundraising activities we will secure the future of the building for the community of Hastings and surrounding areas. We are not a community that gives up. Our charity is small, our membership is 70 people, but our determination is that of an army. We thank the public for their continued use of the organisations and services that work from His Place and look forward to meeting new supporters in times to come.”
To pledge support email [email protected] with the subject title Community Past Present and Future.
Richard Gladstone Hastings Observer Friday April 12th 2019
His Place wins £250,000 grant for vital repairs
The good news for His Place is reported in the article below from Hastings Online Times HOT. His Place is an organisation in Hastings that have a responsibility for a listed building they use who have kept everyone informed about its need s of care and maintenance.
His Place wins £250,000 grant for vital repairs and music heritage project Vital repairs will soon get under way at His Place Community Church in central Hastings following the award of a grant of nearly £250,000 from Lottery funds. The money will also enable a music heritage project to go ahead, as the church explains.
His Place Community Church in Hastings is delighted to announce that it has been awarded a grant of £249,946 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for urgent building repairs and an exciting community-based musicThe good news dfor heritage project called Make a Joyful Noise.
His Place has operated from the former Robertson Street Congregational Church since 2013. This project, which is only made possible by money raised by National Lottery players, will carry out a first phase of emergency repairs to this landmark building in central Hastings. It will also research and celebrate a century’s worth of church-related music-making in the town.
Wind and salt erosion have taken a toll of the building’s exterior, including the south elevation windows.
Work will commence this November and major stone and glass repairs to the east and south-facing sides of the church will be unveiled in June 2023, along with an online Hastings music heritage hub.
Listed building
The Grade II-listed former Robertson Street Congregational Church was built in 1885 to designs by the prolific Hastings architect Henry Ward. The building is a significant presence in the Trinity Triangle area of Hastings, with two striking Classical facades visible to the public: a tall, narrow one facing Robertson Street to the east and a large, six-bay elevation facing Cambridge Road to the north. The Robertson Street elevation is one of the sides due for comprehensive repair.
The interior of the building retains many of its original features and the large horse-shoe galleried worship space, which seats 700 people, is a strikingly beautiful venue with a superb acoustic for unamplified music. Since 2017 it has also served as the home of Opus Theatre, an innovative musical arts venture led by British-Argentine composer and pianist Polo Piatti.
Opus’s residency and the use of the church by community music groups such as One Hastings Many Voices reflects its long history of music education and performance. For a century or more from the 1880s, the Robertson Street Congregational Church was at the forefront of community efforts to provide free and affordable music in Hastings.
Inspiring musical history
Like so many other churches, it ran choirs for all ages, nurtured vocal and instrumental soloists, and hosted music festivals, competitions and concerts – all of which fed into the secular music culture in the town. Make a Joyful Noise seeks to recapture, preserve, and celebrate this inspiring history.
“We’re so happy to have been awarded this grant,” said Nicky Roper, church administrator. “It’s going to help us save our beautiful building and also the community and cultural work that we and Opus Theatre do in it. We want to thank National Lottery players for their support as well as everyone in Hastings who has helped us achieve this amazing result.
“We’re also very grateful to Historic England and the Trinity Triangle High Street Heritage Action Zone for a project development grant of £20,000 that helped us to make our winning bid to the Heritage Fund.
Hastings On Line Times 5th October 2022 December 2022 funding update
His Place wins £250,000 grant for vital repairs and music heritage project Vital repairs will soon get under way at His Place Community Church in central Hastings following the award of a grant of nearly £250,000 from Lottery funds. The money will also enable a music heritage project to go ahead, as the church explains.
His Place Community Church in Hastings is delighted to announce that it has been awarded a grant of £249,946 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for urgent building repairs and an exciting community-based musicThe good news dfor heritage project called Make a Joyful Noise.
His Place has operated from the former Robertson Street Congregational Church since 2013. This project, which is only made possible by money raised by National Lottery players, will carry out a first phase of emergency repairs to this landmark building in central Hastings. It will also research and celebrate a century’s worth of church-related music-making in the town.
Wind and salt erosion have taken a toll of the building’s exterior, including the south elevation windows.
Work will commence this November and major stone and glass repairs to the east and south-facing sides of the church will be unveiled in June 2023, along with an online Hastings music heritage hub.
Listed building
The Grade II-listed former Robertson Street Congregational Church was built in 1885 to designs by the prolific Hastings architect Henry Ward. The building is a significant presence in the Trinity Triangle area of Hastings, with two striking Classical facades visible to the public: a tall, narrow one facing Robertson Street to the east and a large, six-bay elevation facing Cambridge Road to the north. The Robertson Street elevation is one of the sides due for comprehensive repair.
The interior of the building retains many of its original features and the large horse-shoe galleried worship space, which seats 700 people, is a strikingly beautiful venue with a superb acoustic for unamplified music. Since 2017 it has also served as the home of Opus Theatre, an innovative musical arts venture led by British-Argentine composer and pianist Polo Piatti.
Opus’s residency and the use of the church by community music groups such as One Hastings Many Voices reflects its long history of music education and performance. For a century or more from the 1880s, the Robertson Street Congregational Church was at the forefront of community efforts to provide free and affordable music in Hastings.
Inspiring musical history
Like so many other churches, it ran choirs for all ages, nurtured vocal and instrumental soloists, and hosted music festivals, competitions and concerts – all of which fed into the secular music culture in the town. Make a Joyful Noise seeks to recapture, preserve, and celebrate this inspiring history.
“We’re so happy to have been awarded this grant,” said Nicky Roper, church administrator. “It’s going to help us save our beautiful building and also the community and cultural work that we and Opus Theatre do in it. We want to thank National Lottery players for their support as well as everyone in Hastings who has helped us achieve this amazing result.
“We’re also very grateful to Historic England and the Trinity Triangle High Street Heritage Action Zone for a project development grant of £20,000 that helped us to make our winning bid to the Heritage Fund.
Hastings On Line Times 5th October 2022 December 2022 funding update