St Leonard's Baptist Church

Hastings, a medieval seaside town on the Sussex coast, was an important settlement by the 12th century: it had Hastings Castle and a mint, and was the main Cinque Port. With seven churches, it was also a religious centre. To the west, an area of undeveloped land—part of the Manor of Gensing—ran down to the English Channel coast and offered excellent views. Consisting of a well-wooded valley leading to flat, sheltered land by a beach, it had the potential for residential development. Businessman and property developer James Burton, father of the architect Decimus Burton, exploited this potential in the early 19th century when he laid out the new town of St Leonards-on-Sea. Encouraged by a…

The church has an ornate, decorative façade which combines Classical elements Paired round-arched windows light the outer bays. The side walls have five arched windows set below a cornice of moulded terracotta. The hall beneath the church includes a full-height single-bay brick extension with an arched window. An elaborate wooden gallery supported on iron columns survives inside.