Church in the Wood, Hollington

Church in the Wood
St Leonard's Church
The church from the south
50°52′27″N 0°32′17″E / 50.8743°N 0.5380°E / 50.8743; 0.5380Coordinates: 50°52′27″N 0°32′17″E / 50.8743°N 0.5380°E / 50.8743; 0.5380
Location	Church in the Wood Lane, Hollington, Hastings, East Sussex
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Church of England
Website	www.stleonardsandstannes.org.uk
History
Former name(s)	St Rumbold's Church
Founded	11th century
Dedication	St Leonard
Architecture
Status	Parish church
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	19 January 1951
Style	Early English Gothic
Administration
Parish	Hollington: St Leonard and St Anne
Deanery	Rural Deanery of Hastings
Archdeaconry	Lewes and Hastings
Diocese	Chichester
Province	Canterbury

Church in the Wood, officially known as St Leonard's Church and originally as St Rumbold's Church, is an Anglican church in the Hollington area of the town and borough of Hastings, one of six local government districts in the English county of East Sussex. Although Hollington is now a large suburb, consisting mostly of postwar residential development, the church has stood in isolation in the middle of an ancient wood since it was founded in the 13th century—almost certainly as the successor to an 11th-century chapel. Restoration work in the Victorian era has given the Early English Gothic-style building its present appearance, but some medieval work remains. Legends and miraculous events have been associated with the church, and its secluded situation has been praised by writers including Charles Lamb. The church is a Grade II Listed building.

The manor of Hollington (also spelt Horintune, Holintun, Horintone, Halinton and Halyngtone early in its existence) existed at the time of the Domesday survey in 1086: before the Norman conquest of England the land was held by Godwin, Earl of Wessex and another lord, Alstan, and amounted to 4½ hides. Afterwards it passed to Robert, Count of Eu. The manor house and village (a scattered, mostly rural settlement rather than a nucleated village) were 2.5 miles (4.0 km) northwest of Hastings and a similar distance north of St Leonards-on-Sea on a ridge of high land.