A Rapidly Fading Jewel
St Mary in the Castle is the architectural crown jewel of Hastings. Built in 1828 as an Anglican church, the building features a distinctive white Ionic portico and a unique neo-classical design with subterranean vaults.
This cultural treasure is, however, showing alarming signs of decay. The grand façade now bears the scars of time and exposure to the coastal elements. Cracks are appearing in the stonework, the iconic pillars are stained, and there are concerns about the structural integrity of the roof and its magnificent interior. Dampness and water penetration is a constant enemy, threatening the very future of this beautiful building, which has been empty since 2022.
Countless plans to restore the Grade II listed St Mary’s have foundered over funding, and the Drivers Group is the latest to take up the cause. The Drivers are a volunteer-led, community-based group of over 45 members, brought together by their shared love for the building and hope for its future. Their aim is to restore and revive St Mary in the Castle for the benefit of future generations.
The Drivers group was set up last year and has met regularly to try to progress the restoration of the building. The group has received some support from the Hastings BC and the Architectural Heritage Fund to explore the options available for the building.
Last Saturday (4 October), the group hosted a pop-up meeting in the Stade Hall with OMMX, their newly appointed architects. They listened to the community’s views on restoration and shared their own vision for reimagining the historic church.
Among those attending the event was Tim McDonald, the curator of the Shipwreck Museum in Rock‑A‑Nore and a former senior music producer with the BBC. He has a plan to transform St Mary in the Castle into a Music Resource Centre. He believes the venue would be ideal for such a centre, where people could access music and use recording and rehearsal space. “It has long struck me as odd” he says, “that a town with a music culture as incredibly broad and all-inclusive as Hastings possesses has no focal point which could serve as a hub to promote, encourage and serve as a central reference point for the vast range of musical activity in the town.”
Mr McDonald said his idea has the support of Julia Hilton, the Deputy Leader of Hastings BC, and of Dr Jess Steele, the CEO of Hastings Commons, the creative force behind the Drivers Group.
Following the model of his Shipwreck Museum, which will shortly celebrate its 40th anniversary, his Centre would be staffed primarily by volunteers. From the outset, a key priority would be to establish good working relationships with schools and other educational institutions.
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