Church in the Woods description and photos - Great Britain: Hastings (Topic)

Church in the Wood description and photos - UK: Hastings. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is Church in the Wood.

Photo & Description

Church-in-the-woods is located in Hollington, a suburb of Hastings, in the south of England. Officially, it is called the Church of St. Leonard, and originally it was the Church of St. Rumbold.

Hollington is now a large suburb of Hastings, consisting mainly of post-war residential buildings, but the church has stood here in the thicket of the forest since its construction - from the 13th century. It replaced the chapel that existed here in the 11th century. When the church of St. Leonard in the suburb of Hastings ceased to exist in the early 15th century, the name was mistakenly applied to this church. The name "Church-in-the-woods" has been known since the middle of the 19th century. At this time it was still a parish church, but it was in a terrible state. At one time it was believed that it would be easier to demolish it than to repair it, but the parishioners insisted on preserving the old church. The renovation took about 20 years and the church took on a very Victorian look. Very little has survived from the original Norman building. There is an old cemetery at the church. The first documented burials date back to 1606, and the oldest surviving monument is from 1678.

Now Hastings is expanding, the former outskirts are becoming part of the city, there is active housing construction, but the forest around the church remains intact. Many legends are associated with this church. For example, they talk about the conflict between the devil and the builders - every night, all their day work was destroyed, and building materials disappeared. An ethereal voice told the builders that this place belongs to the devil, and the church should be built in another place.

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Topic: Church in the Woods description and photos - Great Britain: Hastings.