Heritage Open Day at St John the Evangelist, Newtimber
As part of this year’s Heritage Open Days, the Church of St John the Evangelist in Newtimber will be open to visitors all day on Saturday 13 September 2025. This is also Ride and Stride Day and the church will be open to
Refreshments will be available throughout the day. (read about other churches open on Heritage Day here)
St John’s is a medieval church that was significantly remodelled in the 19th century with funds provided by Charles Gordon, a wealthy landowner whose fortune was built on the labour of enslaved people on Jamaican plantations.
As part of a project to acknowledge this difficult history, the names of those enslaved individuals will be displayed on calico banners hanging in the church tower—an architectural feature constructed using money received by the Gordons in compensation for the loss of their ‘property’ following the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833.
At 11.00am, there will be a short presentation by Professor Alan Lester FRHistS and researcher Mira Knox of the University of Sussex, who will explore this legacy in more detail. This will be followed by a brief act of memorial, including the reading of the names of the enslaved people whose forced labour contributed to the Gordon family's wealth.
