It’s a Kind of Madness?
HELEN MURPHY & NICK PELLING investigate an amazing project.
Something extraordinary is happening at the junction of Pevensey and London Roads. Something almost heroic, perhaps. Four years ago, one man bought the collapsing Victorian church, without being quite sure why. For almost four years he has been hammering and drilling and bashing away in a world of dust: entombed under Pevensey Road, lost to normal life. We went to see him, tiptoeing around the power tools, to try to make sense of this exceptional mission.
In conversation, Chris Ostwald seems perfectly sane. He explains, he went to a property auction in London and just couldn’t resist bidding. He came away the proud owner of St Leonards Congregational Church, a building – at the time of purchase – that was more of a home to dry-rot, woodworm and drug addicts than to the almighty. Chris reflects with a smile how a local, watching him sweat to install antique Welsh railway railings, told him he was “as mad as a hatter”.
Chris took us on a tour around the church. The thing that strikes you is just how much work he has done and is doing. And will be doing.
RESTORING NOT RIPPING OUT
A casual observer of the goings-on might think this is the activity of a developer on the make, perhaps hoping to jam some ugly flats into the Victorian shell. But the admirable thing about Chris’s approach is that he wants to keep the purity of the old church but carefully and subtly repurpose it for the benefit of the Community. In fact, at present, he hopes to create a space in the under-church for a market, a café and even a small cinema. Upstairs in the church itself, he hopes to save the authentic surroundings as a beautiful but secular venue for weddings, and a space for all manner of community meetings.
Surprisingly, when he started, Chris did not really have a plan: he fell in love with the building and its possibilities and he is still working those out. What is clear is that he is not really in this for profit – and he has yet to find a source of external funding, despite contacting people like Historic England. He says he just finds “the journey” exciting and wants to create something that the town will enjoy and use.
His personal story is intriguing. He went straight from school into Pinewood Studios and eventually became a skilled maker and crafter in the world of special effects. He is quite proud to say that he worked with Jim Henson and the Muppets team and on the blockbuster Flash Gordon. He was also actually the man responsible for making the monstrous plant in the film version of Little Shop of Horrors. But the advent of CGI left him a bit disillusioned: “You might as well put a tennis ball on a stick and let the computer nerds do the rest.” He diversified into antiques and running London-based cafes, but his incredible constructive skills stayed with him – alongside a striking willingness to teach himself new skills from YouTube!
A MERRY BAND
It should be clarified that Chris has not been entirely alone in his efforts. He has been ably supported by a handful of fellow travellers. When we visited, the charismatic local filmmaker, Jamie De Ath, was engaged in cheerily running a festive market selling Christmas trees and gifts. Upstairs we came across Nigel Woodford, a skilled stone mason who is doing an incredibly impressive job in lovingly and authentically preserving the exquisite Victorian stained glass windows. Between them all, Chris Jamie and Nigel, they seemed a merry band of believers, quietly doing something absolutely amazing. This is a story with much still to be told; watch this space.
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Did Chris ever finish his mill house that was featured on grand designs in 2009? I’ve always wondered what came of the house or if they sold it.
What an incredible project. The fact that Chris chose to restore rather than strip everything out says a lot. Victorian churches are notorious for timber decay issues because of the sheer volume of exposed structural wood combined with poor ventilation, so tackling dry rot and woodworm in a building like that is no small undertaking. The stained glass restoration sounds equally impressive. Would love to see an update once the market and cafe spaces are up and running.
We visited your market a few times, we had a delicious pizza and cup of tea, the atmosphere was friendly and interesting. I’m thinking of finding out how we book a space to sell some artwork. I’m not sure I have the qualifications to show my art, this is a very personal thing. Thank you for your time kind regards Julie Martin