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Our Lady and St Peter's Church, East Grinstead

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Coordinates: 51°07′43″N 0°00′53″W / 51.128658°N 0.014745°W / 51.128658; -0.014745
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Our Lady and St Peter's Church
Map
51°07′43″N 0°00′53″W / 51.128658°N 0.014745°W / 51.128658; -0.014745
OS grid referenceTQ3900138455
LocationEast Grinstead, West Sussex
CountryEngland
DenominationRoman Catholic
WebsiteEastGrinsteadCatholicParish.com
History
StatusActive
Founded1879
Founder(s)Sir Edward Blount
DedicationBlessed Virgin Mary
Saint Peter
Architecture
Functional statusParish church
Heritage designationGrade II listed
Designated2 July 2015[1]
Architect(s)Frederick Walters
StyleRomanesque Revival
Groundbreaking15 June 1897
Completed2 October 1898
Administration
ProvinceSouthwark
DioceseArundel and Brighton
DeaneryCrawley[2]

Our Lady and St Peter's Church is a Roman Catholic Parish church in East Grinstead. It was built from 1897 to 1898 and designed by Frederick Walters. It is situated on the London Road close to where it becomes Station Road, north of East Grinstead railway station. It is a Romanesque Revival church and a Grade II listed building.[1]

History

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Foundation

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In 1879, a Catholic mission was started in East Grinstead. It came from Crawley and was dedicated to St Edward and St Louis. It was founded by Sir Edward and Lady Gertrude Blount. The mission was centred in the chapel of Imberhorne Manor, the home of the Blounts. Sir Edward Blount came from Shropshire and was the son of Edward Blount, a member of the House of Commons for Steyning. After founding the Blount Père et Fils Bank in 1831 (which merged with Société Générale in 1870), and being knighted, he retired to Sussex.[1]

Construction

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On 15 June 1897, the foundation stone was laid. The architect was Frederick Walters. Lady Blount died during construction of the church. On 2 October 1898, the church was opened. In 1899, stained glass windows were installed in the north east chapel. They were made by Hardman & Co., given by the Blounts and dedicated to St Gertrude and St Edward. Most of the fittings in the church was designed by Walters.[1] Also in 1899, the church was consecrated.[3]

Parish

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Our Lady and St Peter's Church's parish also includes St Bernard's Church on Vicarage Road in Lingfield, Surrey. It was built in 1956.[4] Formerly in the parish was Our Lady of the Forest Church in Forest Row. It was built in the 1950s, closed in 2009, and was once visited by John F. Kennedy on 29 June 1963, during his stay at Harold Macmillan's house at Birch Grove, part of his only official visit to the UK.[5]

Our Lady and St Peter's Church has two Sunday Masses at 6.15pm on Saturday and at 10:30am on Sunday. St Bernard's Church has one Sunday Mass at 9:00am. Our Lady and St Peter's Church has its weekdays Masses at 9:30am.[6]

  • St Bernard's Church in Lingfield, part of the same parish.
    St Bernard's Church in Lingfield, part of the same parish.
  • Our Lady of the Forest Church in Forest Row, closed in 2009.
    Our Lady of the Forest Church in Forest Row, closed in 2009.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Historic England, "Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady and St Peter (1426322)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 25 March 2016
  2. ^ Parishes from Diocese of Arundel and Brighton, retrieved 25 March 2016
  3. ^ East Grinstead - Our Lady and St Peter from English Heritage, retrieved 25 March 2016
  4. ^ 1986: Religion in Lingfield from Doomsday Reloaded, BBC History, retrieved 25 March 2016
  5. ^ Martin Beckford, "Village church visited by JFK and Harold Macmillan to close on Christmas Day", Daily Telegraph, 21 December 2009, retrieved 25 March 2016
  6. ^ Newsletter from EastGrinsteadCatholicParish.com, retrieved 25 March 2016
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