St Mary in the Castle – looking good from this height, but very empty at sea level.
St Mary in the Castle: visit and save
As many know, St Mary in the Castle (SMiC) is a wonderful space on the Hastings seafront, though difficult and expensive to maintain. Someone must have been telling lies about Joseph Kay when it was decided that – in effect – the Pelham Crescent centrepiece was expendable. His building is key to modern Hastings, and the Castle, and 2066. On Wednesday 24 July (meet at 6 pm, outside), a tour and discussion are taking place to explore possibilities of revival. Prevention of further deterioration would be the first step. Bernard McGinley reports.
In 2019 the St Mary in the Castle Friends (SMiCF) disbanded after the venue’s Trustees (SMiCCT) couldn’t provide a few parking places for the volunteers. (On how many days a year does the seafront lack a few parking places? See ‘St Mary’s Loses Its Friends’, Hastings Independent Press No 126, 29 November 2019).
After that, the SMiC Charitable Trust itself abandoned hope and active running of St Mary in the Castle. Kitchen fittings and others were stripped out, and it stands unused.
At short notice there is to be a meeting at St Mary’s tomorrow, Wednesday 24 July, (starting outside at 6 o’clock). Hastings Commons (based in the impressively revived Observer Building) say:
Hastings Commons is supporting the development of a heritage strategy for Seafront & Central Hastings & St Leonards over the next 12 months.
Contact heritage@hastingscommons.com for more information.
Hastings Borough Council (HBC) as owners of St Mary’s are also involved. Another involved is Tola Dabiri who has a doctorate on the significance of Caribbean Carnival and is now a practitioner of ‘social prescribing’. She is a director of Electric Piers CIC.
Statement
The notice for the meeting says:
“It’s time for community action on St Mary in the Castle. The process overseen by Hastings Borough Council last year did not result in a decision and, although they are doing their best to maintain it, the building continues to deteriorate. We need to work together to find a solution.
“Hastings Commons and HBC will host a community meeting on Wednesday 24 July. The event will start at 6 pm with a tour of the building
“Meet at the main front doors up on Pelham Crescent. Since the air in the building is not good for people with asthma we won’t stay there long.”
The importance and significance of St Mary in the Castle was discussed in a HIP article by Chris Cormack earlier this year. The organisers of Wednesday’s pending meeting (who don’t include Chris Cormack) say:
“anyone who wants to be involved in finding a way forward can relocate to the Stade Hall after the tour of St Mary in the Castle to continue the discussion.”
Following an Act of Parliament in 1825, St Mary in the Castle was built in 1825–8 and was G2* listed in 1951. After closure in the 1970s it was remodelled in the 1990s, to widespread appreciation.
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