History of St Richard's

The following text is taken from ‘The Continuing Chain’ - Reflections on the History of St Richard’s Haywards Heath by Dudley Lerpinier, late of the Parish of St Richard.​On the 5th June of 1897, a licence was granted by Earnest, Bishop of Chichester, “to authorise the performance of Divine Worship in the Mission Chapel of the Holy Spirit situated in Sydney Road... Which hath been provided with a Communion Table and other necessary Furniture”. The licence was granted to the Revd Thomas Geoffrey Wyatt, Vicar of St Wilfrid’s, on whose initiative the Chapel was built. Shortly after the Chapel became the Church of St Richard in 1916, Thomas Wyatt, bought, for the Priest-in-Charge, a large house in Sydney Road, with its adjoining extensive grounds.
The services were conducted by curates of St Wilfrid’s, but a degree of independence was permitted in that a curate was primarily in charge of services and pastoral work at the Chapel of the Holy Spirit. Meanwhile, houses were being built in Queens Road, Gordon Road and along one side of Mill Green Road and of College Road. Thus, the Chapel of the Holy Spirit served a clearly-defined community, many of whose members both lived and worked in the vicinity. The mission Chapel of the Holy Spirit,
​although intended as a temporary structure,
​soon became known as the ‘Tin Church’!​The continuing growth of the northern district of Haywards Heath made an urgent case for the creation of a conventional district.
The Revd W Johnson-Jones, who became vicar in 1921, spoke at the Vestry Meeting of that year of the extension of the work among young people in the Sunday School, Girl Guides Company (1st Haywards Heath) and the Lads Club which met in a hut erected in the grounds of the Parsonage. St Richard’s Football Team competed in the Sussex Junior Cup and Mid Sussex League, winning the Mowatt Cup in 1927. In April 1927, a Sung Eucharist was introduced at 10 am with the Sunday School following at 10.40 am. Electric light was installed in church but gas radiators retained, showing, in the Vicars words, “Our Catholicity”! Thus, St Richard’s came to represent the growing movement, emphasising the place of the Eucharist in the worship of the Anglican Church.

​There had always been the intention that a permanent building would replace the ‘Tin Church’. The cost, in the early twenties, was estimated about £16,000. Though, the parish population, then few more than 2,000, had not yet reached 4,000, which was required before a separate parish might be formed. Fr Wylie arrived in October 1935 and during the following summer was informed by the Diocesan Secretary, Canon Godfrey Bell that an offer had been made by an anonymous donor that if the people of St Richard’s could raise £500 by Easter 1937, the sum would be doubled. Given this stimulus, names of subscribers to an appeal fund were published and the total raised would be printed in the Mid Sussex Times. A gift day was set for St Richard’s Day, 3rd April 1937 which raised the sum of £1,000. The Vicar gave his Easter Offering and a parishioner doubled this. By Whit Sunday, 16th May, £5,000 had been subscribed. An amazing effort and sufficient for work to begin.

Work commenced on Sunday 18th July 1937, when a ceremony of ‘cutting the turves’ was held and performed by about one hundred children and two hundred adults. The foundation stone, blessed by the Bishop of Lewes, was laid on Sunday 5th September by the Revd Thomas Wyatt, by whose inspiration and forethought the origin of St Richard’s had been conceived forty years earlier. The consecration of the church, on 9th April 1938, was held by the Bishop of Chichester, following a procession from the old church along Sydney Road. On the pillar on the south side of the Sanctuary, the Bishop made his mark of consecration within a circle, a symbol of eternity, cut into the pillar.

Some features of the old church were transferred to the new, the altar (though reduced in length) was installed in the Lady Chapel, together with two carved angels from the adjacent riddel posts in the old church. Some of the benches were transferred to the galleries, and the beautifully carved eagle lantern brought over also. The font which was specially carved by a local stonemason, Mr Cobb, to fit the font cover bought from the old church. The pulpit was given by the architect and the Churchwardens staves by Mr Allen, a former Churchwarden.
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​The design of the altar, provided in memory of George, Esther and Charlotte Moberley and Alice Povis, was supervised by Mr Geoffrey Webb, an authority in this field. Bought from the old church was the bronze processional cross, which was made in Malta, as a plain cross, the figure being added later. The stations of the cross, given in 1967, were beautifully carved by two former members, Miss Nollar and Miss Hardy. They also carved the figure of St Richard, in his days before he became Bishop, which was placed in the baptistry.

Most striking is the tall crucifix on the wall above the altar, the figure carved in black wood on a copper cross, the work of Mr Jack Trowbridge, was provided later in the century. There are a number of stained glass windows, representations of the Gospel scenes in bright colours by Mr Farrier Bell. The window of Our Lady of Walsingham and another of St Richard are by Mr John Howard.