History of Tower Road United Reformed Church

This text has been extracted from Closure of local churches, (URC)

10 Tower Road, Hindhead

Life was first breathed into Tower Road United Reformed Church in 1896 following the generous gift by Mr John Grover, a local developer and builder, of the land and building which was to become Hindhead Free Church (Congregational). He also funded a second church (Beacon Hill) just over a mile down the road.

The original church building was initially used as a general meeting hall in the care of two super‑intendents, the Revd G B Stallworthy from Poole and the Revd Alfred Kluht, a retired Congregational Minister. By 1901 the original hall had been extended to include a new hall and adjacent manse, along with the installation of electric lighting. In those days Hindhead was regarded as a very healthy area, similar to Switzerland, and the church provided a much needed place of worship not only for local residents but also for the rich and famous who frequented the area. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and George Bernard Shaw were regular attenders. The Church was proud to be the first place of Christian witness in the area.

But times change. The big hotels have gone and the Hindhead crossroads have become a traffic bottleneck. We live in an age where people do not do Church, particularly on a Sunday, and if we are true to our Christian faith then we need to hear God’s calling that it is the people and not the buildings which are the Church. To justify two Church buildings in such close proximity is difficult and after much prayer, the decision has been taken to focus our attention on the Beacon Hill site. In so doing, our vision is to create an ecumenical worship/ community/Christian centre.

The lives of many hundreds if not thousands of people have been changed and enriched by the life and witness of Tower Road United Reformed Church. We give thanks for all those who have served the Church so faithfully during its long history, from those who have stood in the pulpit to those who have kept it clean.

In closing the Church, we are merely ceasing to use this particular building for public worship. The people who are Tower Road will live on. Some will take their gifts and skills to other congregations in their local communities, others will join with their sister Church at Beacon Hill. The important thing is the witness continues and that witness will be stronger because the congregation of Tower Road have been courageous enough to hear God saying “your work here is finished – I want you to work somewhere else” and to answer that call.