Haywards Heath – Presentation

A mission church was opened in an iron building in 1882, with the object of providing services in the poorer part of the town.  Although it was enlarged within four years, this was in turn replaced in 1897 by the present church, which was designed by T Tyrwhitt (WWA 1914).  It is a very early work, predating the architect’s entry into private practice.

The church has pebble-dashed walls with dressings of brick, both inside and out.  There is an eastern apse with round-headed windows set high.  These are in contrast to the segmental windows of the nave, which are domestic in appearance and are separated externally by large buttresses.  The west end is rather lower and a single bell is hung in a gabled extension of the roof above the entrance.  Inside, the apse is behind a broad arch which like the windows is round-headed.  Given the date of the church, it was quite advanced in being designed without a vestige of the gothic.  The broadly proportioned nave has an arch-brace roof and that of the apse is panelled.

Fitting

Font: Plain and octagonal, dating probably from the first opening of the present church.

My thanks to Mike Anton for the photographs.