Global InformationList of places of worship in Rother information
The district of Rother, one of six local government districts in the English county of East Sussex, has more than 130 current and former places of worship. 83 active churches and chapels, one mosque and one Buddhist centre serve the mostly rural area, and a further 50 former places of worship still stand but are no longer in religious use. The district's main urban centres—the Victorian seaside resort of Bexhill-on-Sea and the ancient inland towns of Battle and Rye—have many churches, some of considerable age. Others serve villages and hamlets scattered across the Wealden hills and marshes of the district. Even small settlements have parish churches serving the Church of England, the country's state religion. Roman Catholicism is less well established than in neighbouring West Sussex, but Protestant Nonconformist denominations have been prominent for centuries. Methodism was especially popular in the area: many chapels were built in the 18th and 19th centuries, although some have since closed. The majority of the population is Christian, and the mosque and Buddhist centre in Bexhill-on-Sea are the only non-Christian place of worship.
Dozens of buildings have been awarded listed status by English Heritage in recognition of their architectural and historical interest. These range from the Saxon-era parish churches in villages such as Beckley and Guestling to the Mediterranean-style Romanesque Revival St Anthony of Padua Church in Rye, built in the 1920s. Likewise, chapels as simple as the cottage-like former Bethel Chapel in Robertsbridge and as elaborate as the "rich and fruity" neighbouring United Reformed Church have been listed.
Various administrative areas operated by the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church, the United Reformed Church, Baptists and Methodists cover churches in the district which are part of their denomination. These areas include dioceses, archdeaconries, networks and circuits.