All Saints Church

All Saints Church stands in the small hamlet of Highbrook in West Sussex. The building is an Anglican church designed by Richard H. Carpenter and Benjamin Ingelow in the Gothic Revival style. It opened in 1884 and features a prominent spire made of locally quarried stone. The church was funded by two wealthy sisters, Frances Kirby and Caroline Weguelin, to serve the growing local population. English Heritage has listed it at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance. The church replaced a long journey to the parish church in West Hoathly village. The church is worth visiting for its architectural significance and historical context. Nikolaus Pevsner, a noted architectural historian, described it as "a serious job, outside and inside." It was built during a period when 269 churches were constructed in Sussex between 1860 and 1890. The sisters paid £4,000 towards its construction, a substantial sum at the time. The church’s design reflects the popular Decorated Gothic style of the 14th and 15th centuries. Its stained glass windows, installed by Clayton and Bell, add to its artistic value. Inside, visitors find a chancel and nave separated by a chancel arch, with an aisle on the north side and a porch on the south. The east window of the chancel is the largest, featuring five lights with intricate tracery. The chancel floor is laid with black and white marble in a checkerboard pattern. Memorials to the founding sisters and a marble reredos are also present. The church remains an active place of worship and a recognised landmark in the area.