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West Wall and Baptistry
 The west wall and tower are all that remain
of the Victorian Church and were carefully incorporated into the
post-war design by Mr Goodhart-Rendel. The beautiful Baptistry was
the gift of the first Rector, Canon H D Jones, as a thanksgiving for the
children born to him in St Johns Rectory. In the apsidal ceiling
of the Baptistry are inscribed the initial letters of their Christian
names on either side of the letter J, the initial of their surname.
On one side there is a stained glass window
representing St Christopher, whilst the other side shows St Nicholas
with three boys in a bath - there has been a link with the St Nicholas
charity for many years, initially helping young people from care to
begin their adult lives in the community, and latterly, helping
families.
The Font
The hardwood-lidded Gothic Font dates to
the Victorian age and is square with four marble subsidiary columns around a
circular column base. The Font was damaged in the 1943 bomb blast, but
has been restored.
Windows
 The nine windows in the Baptistry are the
work of Miss Thompson and conform as nearly as possible with the
destroyed originals in this apse.
If you proceed down the Nave,
you will see the remaining windows, designed by the architect's
favourite designer, Mr Ledger. On the south side of the Nave are
male Saints, whilst female Saints look in from the windows on the north
side.
On the male side St Richard
and St Wilfred are closely associated with the Diocese of Chichester, St
Augustine was the founder of Canterbury Cathedral and St David was the
name Saint of the Church's first Rector.
On the female side, St
Margaret was the daughter of a Saxon prince, an evacuee from the
Hastings neighbourhood at the time of the Norman invasion and later
Queen of Scotland. St Cecilia is included because of the strong
musical tradition of St Johns. St Catherine of Alexandria bears
the instrument of her martyrdom - a spiked wheel - and St Anne, the
mother of the Blessed Virgin, is also shown.
The Nave Altar, Choir Stalls and
Pulpit
 A Nave Altar and Communion
Rails in light oakware introduced in the early 1980s. The Choir
Stalls, with their small statues of the Apostles, the Bishop's Chair,
the Sedilia and the Altar and Priedieus of the Sacrament Chapel were
features of the former Church that survived the 1943 bomb. They
have been altered to conform with Mr Goodhart-Rendel's pastel colour
scheme for the furniture of the Chancel and Sanctuary. Of
particular interest is the Octagonal wine glass Pulpit which is also
finished in pastel green, blue and salmon.
The East Window, Sanctuary and
Furnishings
 As intended by the architect,
there is a view of the High Altar from every seat in the Church.
The theme of the striking East
Window is Christ in glory above all Creation. The various stages
are depicted ...the air, the land, the sea and the uttermost depths of
the ocean. Saints John, James, Peter and Paul are easily
recognisable in the flanking lights.
The Sanctuary carpet was made
in Donegal to the pattern and colouring devised by Mr Goodhart-Rendel.
The Sacrament Chapel
 The colour work on the
Bishop's Chair (to the left of the High Altar) and the Sacrament Altar
were carried out by the Hastings School of Art. The Eagle lectern
is Victorian, having survived the 1943 bomb. The dark oak,
three-quarter size crucifix was a gift from the convent of Holmhurst St
Mary on its closure. The Sacrament Chapel is the point from which
the priest, attendants and choir process during a normal service.
The South Aisle
 The St John the Evangelist
windows show events in chronological order after the Resurrection and
here also is the Foundation Stone laid by The Princess Elizabeth.
On a bright Sunday morning, you will often see the pillars of the South
Aisle bathed in all the colours of the stained glass windows on the
right.
The Tower Porch and Bells
 The four bells were cast at
Annecy, in Haute Savoie, France in 1891. The equipment in the bell
ringing chamber enables one person to operate clapper strokes on the
bells. The bells are named in commemoration of the children of the
donor: Sam (850 kilos), Adela (450 kilos), Florence (250 kilos) and
Delano (110 kilos).
The North Aisle
If you move across the
Baptistry to the North Aisle, you can view the windows commemorating St
John in the Gospels.
The Well
 Beside the organ casing, under
the wooden hatch, lies an old well from the former Gensing Farm.
The water from this well has been used for giving thanks to God for the
gifts of Creation at harvest time.
The Organ
 The Organ was purchased from
the Chapel of St Catherine's College, Cambridge in January 1976.
The case was designed and made by Mr Walter Cruttenden, Church Warden,
and bears the coat of arms of St Catherine's College and the Hastings
Borough coat of arms.
The Te Deum Window
 If you return to the Baptistry
via the Nave you can look up to the Te Deum Window. The design of
the west window, lofty in conception and execution and figured in white
glass in the leaded cames, as in the Nave windows, vividly conveys the
spirit of the morning prayer, the Te Deum.
The North Porch
I f
you then leave the Church via the North Porch you will see the Canadian
Memorial on the left as you go out. The cost of building this
porch was borne by the Parish and it is regarded as the Parochial War
Memorial. It commemorates those who paid the supreme sacrifice in
the two World Wars, including the men of the Essex Scottish Regiment of
Canada who were billeted in the Parish - including the Rectory - whilst
preparing for the Dieppe Raid in which so many died. The Anglican
Church of Canada made a generous gift of £750 to the Church in
recognition of the kindness shown to the Canadians by the Parishioners
of St Johns.
Outside the Church
The Church is surrounded by
gardens. The Memorial Garden, with its stone memorial cross
contains the ashes of many who have loved St Johns Church.
Elsewhere, shrubs and plants have been donated in memory of friends and
family members. The wooded area contains snowdrops planted in
memory of children who have died. The Peace Garden at the eastern
end of the grounds was inaugurated as part of St Johns Millennium
celebration. It is intended to be a place of tranquillity in which
local people can meditate, remember close friends and relatives and draw
close to God in prayer.
If there is anything not covered
in the website that you would like to know, do make
contact.
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