Standing quietly above Hastings and Ore are the remains of Old St Helen’s Church, one of Hastings’ oldest buildings. Through a pair of old stone gateposts, along a winding path, and hidden among trees and bushes, there is a touch of magic and romance about the ruins and graveyard. If you’ve travelled up from Hastings town, it suddenly feels incredibly quiet and remote, notwithstanding that there are modern estates all around. Here it is a surprisingly secluded world of crumbling stone walls, weathered gravestones and birdsong.
Looking back
Other than Hastings Castle, few places in the town can claim such deep historical roots. Parts of the church date from the Norman period, with an 11th century nave, a 12th century tower and a 13th century chancel. Alterations followed over the centuries as generations reshaped and expanded the building although some historians believe the site may even be older than the Norman period. The dedication to St Helen has prompted speculation that the church’s story links it to Offa, who conquered Haestingas in AD 771. St Helen was one of Offa’s favoured saints.
Archaeology offers tantalising clues but no certainty. Excavations carried out during conservation work in 2012 uncovered vaulted tombs, a full skeleton, the remains of a newborn child, old clay pipes (from the 17th to 19th century), a ring, coins and flints. Yet despite hopes of finding definitive Saxon evidence, archaeologists found nothing conclusive beneath the site itself. Still, hints linger around the edges of the landscape. Nearby, there is apparently a holy well, now inaccessible on private land, and such sites were often associated with Saxon healing traditions and early churches.
Looking down
The church’s position is a reminder of Hastings’ past. Standing high above the surrounding valley, these days you cannot see much beyond the foliage, but medieval churches were often built on high ground overlooking settlements and farmland. Back then, the area would have looked very different. Even until the early nineteenth century, it remained a largely agricultural parish of scattered farms and fields centred around the church and nearby Ore Place. Over time, the population gradually shifted downhill towards the growing town below, leaving the ridge-top church increasingly isolated.
Like many old churchyards, St Helen’s holds stories too. Among those buried here was General James Murray, who fought alongside General Wolfe at Quebec before becoming the first Governor of Quebec after the British victory. Local guides also recount another curious detail: five smugglers buried side by side after fatal encounters with revenue officers.
Looking forward
Eventually the old building became too small and impractical for its expanding congregation. In 1869, much of the church was dismantled and a replacement church constructed nearby to serve the changing population. Some stone from the original building was reused in the new church, while the old structure was left behind. Roofless and increasingly fragile, it slowly faded into ruin over the following century.
Fortunately, in 1991 the site was acquired by the Sussex Heritage Trust and its importance was finally recognised. Soon after, it received listed status and Ancient Monument designation, securing its future.
St. Helen’s Woods
Just to the west of the ruins, St. Helen’s Woods is an area of over 100 acres of meadows, ponds and ancient woodland. It is managed by the St. Helen’s Park Preservation Society who were able to acquire much of the land in 1959 after a donation made by Isabel Blackman. Apparently, the famous author, Catherine Cookson, spent many years in Hastings and was a supporter of the Society. The woods are a designated a Local Nature Reserve.
Back standing among silence of the ruins, you can imagine some of the people that passed through this hilltop church: Norman worshippers, farmers, smugglers and soldiers. It’s an evocative little corner of Hastings and well worth a little detour. However, today, it feels that whatever restoration work was being done, has lost momentum. The tower is fenced off. The Sussex Heritage Trust sign looks unloved, and it looks like the ruins are being left to crumble once again.
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