Building » Hurst Green, East Sussex – Our Lady Help of Christians

Hurst Green, East Sussex – Our Lady Help of Christians

Station Road, Hurst Green

This Church was closed in 2008

Francis Pollen was an architect of intelligence and ingenuity who stood outside the mainstream of modern architecture. His language varied enormously but was a language rooted in tradition. The church at Hurst Green was a good example of an intelligent response to church building at a time of questioning and change both in architecture and in liturgy.  

The church was built on land given by Lord Longford and designed by Francis Pollen, who went on to design the (now listed) chapel at Worth Abbey. The cost was £9,000.

The church plan is a polygon attached to a semi-circle, very much in line with contemporary thinking on changes in the liturgy. The walls are of shiplap boarding between brick piers, originally all painted white. Above each facet are triangles of glazing. The roof was originally of copper but has been replaced with felt. The semi-circular part is of brick and supports a smaller drum on which rise the vestigial remains of a concave tower-like screen with a crucifix. The church suffered a fire and structural problems.

Heritage Details

Architect: Francis Pollen

Original Date: 1959

Conservation Area: Yes

Listed Grade: Not Listed