Our Lady and St Peter's Church, East Grinstead

Our Lady and St Peter’s Church stands on London Road in East Grinstead, just north of the railway station where Station Road begins. Built between 1897 and 1898, it is a Romanesque Revival church designed by Frederick Walters. The building is Grade II listed, recognising its architectural importance. The church replaced an earlier Catholic mission founded in 1879 by Sir Edward and Lady Gertrude Blount. Their home, Imberhorne Manor, initially housed the mission before the permanent church was constructed. The church’s foundation stone was laid on 15 June 1897, and it opened on 2 October 1898. Lady Blount died during its construction, and stained glass windows in the north-east chapel were installed in 1899. These windows, made by Hardman & Co., were donated by the Blounts and dedicated to St Gertrude and St Edward. Most of the church’s fittings were also designed by Walters. The church was consecrated in 1899, marking its formal dedication. Inside, visitors find a Romanesque interior with fittings designed by Walters. The north-east chapel contains the Hardman & Co. stained glass windows dedicated to the Blounts’ patrons. The church’s parish includes St Bernard’s Church in Lingfield, Surrey, and formerly included Our Lady of the Forest in Forest Row. The building remains a local landmark close to the town centre and railway station.