Haywards Heath – Good Shepherd

The church was built to serve the Franklands Village area in the south of the town in 1964-65, to the design of W S Newman (WSRO Par 370/4/65).  It was of timber construction with boarded walls and had a conventional plan, with nave and aisles and steep-pitched roofs.  This design led in turn to the most striking feature of the church, the glazed gable ends.  There were alterations after c1990, which extended the space without significant alteration to the exterior.

The life of timber-framed churches is often limited for structural reasons and such considerations led in 2003 to the church being made redundant. The parish was absorbed into that of the Ascension.  Subsequently the church stood empty despite plans to use it for community purposes.  In 2015 permission was granted to use the site for residential purposes and early the following year the church was demolished.

Photo: The Voice of Hassocks