Page 20 - ‘A Blaker Family History’ The family history of Joseph Blaker (1916-2007; ‘Joe’)

© The Blaker Society
© The Blaker Society

Given the scale of the church, and its commissioning sponsor, it is quite possible
that Worth was the spiritual home of a college of secular or monastic clergy.

The church is cruciform, with a circular apse. Entering the church by the west
th
door (14 century) one stands immediately beneath the gallery bearing the
inscription 'This Gallerie is the gift of Anthony Lynton, late Rector of this Parish,
who deceased the XV day of June Anno Domino 1610'. The fabulous Saxon chancel
arch is the dominant feature of the building, and is 6.7 metres high and 4.2
metres wide, and is one of the largest pre-conquest arches still standing. The
church also has 3 original Saxon stained glass windows in the nave – a feature
unique amongst English churches. The font is curious, consisting of a square
stone bowl of 12th century date, bearing some ornamental decoration of cross
motifs. In 1986, a fire destroyed the nineteenth century roof of the nave, and the
church needed extensive renovation, which took nearly two years to complete.
Since the end of the Second World War, the growth of Crawley and, latterly, the
formation of a separate Parish of Turners Hill, have eaten into the area of the
parish of Worth, so that the present Parish occupies little more than a third of
the original.

St.Nicholas Church, Worth, Sussex: Old Postcard

The Wealden iron industry was important in the area, producing a large
th
proportion of the bar iron made in England in the 16 century, and most British
cannon until about 1770. By 1808, the area was predominately agricultural
fields, with much smaller woods and forests.

In 1850, a prominent London banker, Sir Joseph Montefiore, purchased the
Worth Park Estate. However, three years later the original building was
destroyed by fire, enabling him to construct a large red brick mansion complete
with 10 reception rooms, 10 bedrooms, and a stable quadrangle accommodating
18 carriages. Sir Joseph died in 1880, and his son, Sir Francis Abraham
Montefiore began rebuilding the house. The Worth Park Estate was broken up in
1915 and sold. After many different owners, most of the building have been
demolished and modern flats constructed on the site.

Today, in addition to St. Nicholas church, Worth is famous for its independent
Roman Catholic, co-educational boarding and day school, and the Benedictine
Worth Abbey, that occupies the same site on Paddockhurst Road, Turners Hill. At
the heart of Worth Abbey is a community of some 25 monks who follow the rule
of ‘St. Benedict’.

Worth, today is a far cry from the rural idils of yesteryear, when there was a
simple rural community, focused around a beautiful historic church.

4.3 Other Sussex Locations
Coombes
Reason for Interest
• George Blaker (1607-1639) married Ann Burges at
Coombes Church, Lancing; November 1636