Church and Family History - St Oswald's Hooe

Diocese of Chichester

The Rural Deanery of Battle and Bexhill

The Parish Church of St. Oswald's, Hooe

If you are travelling some distance to visit the church, it is suggested you check the situation regarding opening

with one of the churchwardens whose contact details are in the PCC section of this website.

If you are researching your family, the only records held in the Parishes are the burial registers which date back to the late 19th century.

Please e-mail Phil Ringrose (ringrosep@aol.com) regarding these enquiries which will be dealt with as soon as possible.

If you are planning a trip, especially from abroad, then please e-mail before you leave home and arrange a visit rather than leaving it to chance and being disappointed.

Other information is held at the East Sussex Records Office, The Keep, Woollards Way, Brighton BN1 9BP (01273 482349).

The bell tower is supported on the west side by deep diagonal buttresses and has a staircase turret at the north-west corner. There are gargoyles at each corner and a sundial is attached to the south-east buttress. The weather vane is said to be a copy of one dated 1777 which was blown down in 1895. Outside the west door is a stone slab with a Latin inscription in memory of the wife and son of Thomas Bowers, who was Vicar of Hooe from 1687 to 1708.

There are five bells. In 1724, there were four, and when Sir William Burrell saw the church in 1781, the tenor bell was cracked. In 1789 the bells were restored, recast and formed into a ring of five by William and Thomas Mears. They were rehung in 1899 by Mears and Stainbank. They were restored and rehung in 1993 using cast iron headstocks manufactured by Eayre & Smith Limited.

Following a generous legacy given by Alan Collings we were able to have out five bells being renovated and tuned. A Dedication Service for the refurbished bells was held on Sunday 6th November 2022.