Christ Church, Ore
Christ Church is an Anglican church in the Ore area of the town and borough of Hastings, one of six local government districts in the English county of East Sussex. It is one of three Anglican churches with this dedication in the borough. The Decorated Gothic-style church, in the centre of a village which has been surrounded by suburban development, was built in 1858 to supplement Ore's parish church, St Helen's. The most distinctive structural feature, a corner bell turret, has been described as both "outstanding" and "very naughty" by architectural historians. English Heritage has listed the building at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance. History The ancient Cinque Port and fishing town of Hastings evolved into a seaside resort in the 19th century. The arrival of two separate railway routes from London (one via Lewes, the other via Tunbridge Wells) and improved road links helped this; the population doubled from about 11,000 a few years before these developments to 23,000 20 years later. The town, previously focused around the seafront area, grew inland, and Ore—a small linear village on the road to Rye—was gradually absorbed into the urban area. It was first recorded in the early 12th century, although its Anglo-Saxon name (derived from ora, meaning a ridge or slope) suggests earlier settlement, and a parish church was built on high ground to the northwest, near Ore manor house, in the 12th century. There were a few cottages around it until the mid-19th century, but by that time the focus of Ore's development had moved decisively to the area around the main road and Fairlight Down (assisted by the construction of a barracks at Halton and the conversion of the road to turnpike status). As well as being distant from the growing village, St Helen's Church was small and in a ruinous condition. A replacement church was planned (and eventually built in 1869); but before that the rector of the church, Rev. W.T. Turner, decided to found a new church closer to the centre of population. Ore had become a poor, working-class area affected by unemployment and poverty (the workhouse was twice replaced with a larger building), and he wanted to provide greater spiritual support to the growing population. Architect and engineer Alexander Dick Gough was commissioned for the work. Closely associated until 1848 with Robert Lewis Roumieu, who was known for curious and distinctive Gothic designs, Gough's ecclesiastical work often showed unusual touches and was sometimes criticised in the influential journal The Ecclesiologist. Most of his churches were in London; Christ Church was his only commission in Sussex. He submitted his design in 1858, and the church was built over the course of the next year at a cost of £4,268 (equivalent to £ in ). The foundation stone was placed by local philanthropist and church benefactor Countess Waldegrave on 23 November 1858. At first, the church was an unparished chapel of ease. The church roof originally had vents to allow fumes from its gas lighting