St Augustine’s Church, although not particularly old by English standards, is a Grade II Listed building. This is unusual for a small Victorian church and a recognition of St Augustine’s special historic interest.
Scaynes Hill, until the late 19th century, was just a collection of farms within the parish of Lindfield. Several of the farmhouses – Costells, Massetts, Butterbox are medieval but most of the cottages are 19th century. In the 1850s, with a growing population, the need for a school became apparent and in 1858 what is now the nave of the church was built. It served as a school during the week and as a church on Sundays and was known as the school church.
In 1879 the school moved out to another building – now Old School House – where it remained until 1981. The school church was now used solely as a church and at this time the north aisle of the church was constructed supported by wooden pillars.
In 1881 the Revd Frederic Willett inherited the Bedales estate and came to live in Scaynes Hill. He took over the church as a non-stipendiary priest-in-charge and set about enlarging the building. In 1888 a new chancel, tower and baptistery were added.
In 1898 Arthur Hope Rydon bought a substantial stretch of land in Scaynes Hill from the Revd Willett and built a residence known as Awbrook. He was a great benefactor of the church and used his woodcarving skills to beautify the building. In 1908 Arthur Hope Rydon carved the chancel screen with its beautiful quatrefoils (below) and laid the black and white marble flooring in the sanctuary. A new organ was installed at this time. AH Rydon also carved the pulpit and a new reredos behind the altar (later replaced).
In 1913 major structural repairs to the church were carried out. The wooden pillars were replaced by a stone arcade and the splendid decorated tying rods were put in. The south wall was rebuilt and the windows widened and stained glass was installed in the tower window.
The panelling at the west end of the church and around the font was put in in 1919 and is also the work of A H Rydon. He dedicated much of his work as a thanksgiving for the survival of his son in the First World War.
The fine crucifix or Calvary in the front garden is a memorial to the men of Scaynes Hill who died in the First World War. The Roll of Honour inside the church, carved by A H Rydon, lists all those who served along with the names of the fallen. A H Rydon’s own memorial can be seen on the wall at the end of the north aisle.
St Augustine’s Church remained in the parish of Lindfield until 1930 when sufficient funds were found to form a separate parish of Scaynes Hill with its own Vicar.
The present altar and the panelling behind it replaced the Victorian altar and A H Rydon’s reredos in 1950 when the present altar rails were also put in. The reredos is the memorial to the men of the parish who died in the Second World War.
In 1958 to mark the centenary of the building of the church a large flat-roofed vestry was built but this was later demolished when the church annexe was constructed.
The garden at the back of the church was made in 1987 as a memorial to the Revd William Gibb, Vicar of Scaynes Hill from 1971-1985. The Memorial Garden is used for the interment of ashes of parishioners. The fountain was given by the Buswell family in memory of Ron Buswell and the Madonna and Child, originally made in wood by Don Foster, was cast in bronze in 2003.
In 1990 the parish celebrated its diamond jubilee as a parish. The church has no east window - the wall behind the altar is blank - and so the Church Council commissioned the artist Polly Hope to design a great tapestry for the space. Over the next eight years, the parishioners and their friends stitched the tapestry on a mahogany frame in the vestry.
The tapestry illustrates one of the themes of St John’s Gospel: I came that you might have life and have it more abundantly. This is a theme reflected in the signs or miracles on which St John builds his gospel and which in the tapestry surround the central figure of Christ. There are approximately three million stitches in the tapestry which continues to inspire and delight all those who gaze on it.
The paintings in the north aisle in memory of Bill Boden were given by his family and friends and illustrate the life of the church’s patron saint, Augustine. Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury, landed in Kent in 597 AD, with 40 fellow monks, after a long journey from Rome. The scenes were painted by Julia Rushbury, a Lewes artist.
The two stained glass windows in the side aisle, given by Joan Bartlett in memory of her three sisters, were made by Rosalind Grimshaw of Bristol. The left- hand window is of Julian of Norwich, a 14th century mystic who, through the divine revelations granted to her, came to emphasise the feminine, cherishing nature of God and her writings, reflecting these are quoted in the window. Josephine Butler in the right- hand window was a 19th century social reformer who campaigned for the repeal of the Contagious Diseases Act. She also worked to help women driven into prostitution by poverty. At the base of each window are tiny portraits of the four Bartlett sisters.
A major building project was completed in 2012 when the church annexe, comprising a main hall, meeting rooms, kitchen and toilets, was completed. It provides modern facilities for social events, meetings and group activities.
Further information about the church, including the full story of the tapestry, can be found on the church website click here
Drawings by John Higgins and Ron Buswell