From 2021 The Arts Society was no longer affiliated with Church Recording.We were pleased to hear the announcement at the AGM that Church Recording will once again become a volunteering activity of The Arts Society. 

For information on The Church Recording Society please see - churchrecordingsociety.org.uk 

We are proud of the work The Arts Society Turners Hill has done over the years as Church Recorders. Church recording consisted of a small team of ten or twelve members listing and photographing all the artefacts in a church to form part of a national archive.  They record memorials, metalwork, stonework, textiles, paintings, libraries, windows, and miscellaneous items.  Once completed the Church Record was presented in book form to the church.  Other copies were presented to the County Record Office, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Council for the Care of Churches and the National Monuments Record.  Nationally over one thousand eight-hundred churches have been recorded, one hundred in Sussex. The scheme promotes recognition and preservation of the rich artistic heritage to be found in churches

At Turners Hill members recorded five churches.

St Margaret’s Church, Ifield,  St Giles Church, Horsted Keynes,  All Saints’ Church, Crawley Down,  St Leonard’s Church, Turners Hill and All Saints Church, Highbrook

Following extensive work by our Church Recording Volunteer group, led by Jean Locke, a bound copy of the completed Recording of All Saints Church, Highbrook was presented to the church on 1st August 2021. Please see the Gallery section of website for photographs of the event.

The event was on Sunday 1st August at the church (All Saints, Highbrook) after evensong. Jean (the leader of our church recorder group) spoke for a few moments to the congregation of about 30. She then formally handed over the bound copy to Mother Nicol. Afterwards there was wine and chat.

Electronic copies have gone to The V & A, The Church Care Library, Historic England and The West Sussex Records Office.