Building » Seaford – St Thomas More

Seaford – St Thomas More

54 Sutton Road, Seaford, East Sussex BN25 1SS

An attractive but unremarkable building architecturally, of some townscape merit.

The 1935 church can clearly be seen as the simple rectangle that forms the nave and sanctuary, together with part of the south aisle. This is rendered externally (apart from some flint work at the west end) and has plain round-arched windows. The architects were James O’Hanlon Hughes (1894-1967) and his occasional collaborator Geoffrey Webb. Hughes was born in Glasgow and was in private practice in London from 1918-1940 and was with the Office of Public Works in Dublin from 1940-1956. As well as working as an architect he published two volumes of poetry. This simple church was aggrandised by Towner in 1969 with the addition of a gabled north aisle and northwest tower with pyramid roof and an extension to the south aisle. Towner’s work is executed in irregularly coursed reconstituted stone and has flat-headed domestic style windows with stone mullions.

Inside, Towner removed the nave walls, opening up as far as possible into a single space.  The north aisle east window is an indifferent work by Morris & Co, brought from Christ Church Newhaven (demolished in 1965) . A south window 1971 by Murphy Devitt of Dublin. Other windows from Christ Church Newhaven and two (1935 and 1946) signed GW. The east window is of two dates, the lower part having been inserted following reordering and the removal of the high altar. The Stations of the Cross are oil paintings on canvas. Church hall attached to the southeast, 1984 by Anthony Whitty.

Amended by AHP 15.02.2021

Heritage Details

Architect: J. O’Hanlon Hughes and G. Webb; H. Bingham Towner

Original Date: 1935

Conservation Area: Yes

Listed Grade: Not Listed