St George's Church

St George’s Church stands in Polegate, a town in East Sussex that grew quickly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries after the railway arrived. The building itself was finished in 1938 after plans were drawn up by architects J. O’Hanlon Hughes and Geoffrey Webb. Its walls are made of flint and Portland stone, giving it a plain but solid look in the Gothic Revival style. The church has a single rectangular nave with no side chapels or transepts, and a small porch that juts out from the west wall. Inside, the walls and floor were once rough cement, but repairs have been made over the years. The church was dedicated to Saint George and has served the local Catholic community ever since. The church’s history reflects the changing needs of Polegate and its people. In the late 19th century, only nine Catholics lived in Polegate, but demand grew as the town expanded. By the 1930s, a priest secured land and funds, and the building was completed within six months. During the Second World War, the church became full each week as evacuees filled the area. Later, structural problems forced repairs in the 1950s and 1960s, including work to stop subsidence and treat dry rot. The parish has also changed hands several times, first becoming independent in 1960 and later merging with nearby churches. Visitors find a quiet, uncluttered interior with tall windows at the east and west ends. The side walls have groups of four arched windows set in plain surrounds, letting in steady light. Stations of the Cross were added in 1939 and remain a simple focus inside. Outside, the flint and stone walls sit at the corner of the town’s main crossroads, a spot that once marked the edge of the village. The church’s plain design and solid materials give it a dignified presence in Polegate’s streets.