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In 1813 it finally became legal to question the Trinity and Westgate, always a centre of radical thinking, was able to finally declare itself Unitarian in many ways in line with Thomas Paine’s “The Age of Reason: Being an Investigation of True and Fabulous Theology,” something that had in all probability been the ethos of this Chapel for many years.
The doors of Westgate welcome people into a spirit of love and tolerance. Over the many years since it’s founding the members of Westgate have shown love to the people in Lewes by doing what they can for others, be that offering a room for Catholics to meet in when such people, mainly Irish immigrants were often made a scapegoat for their beliefs in the town. Lewes has a history of being a stronghold of protestant beliefs, but Westgate has always stood more for tolerance than the perceived law of the bible used by some. In fact Westgate supported the establishment of St Pancras Roman Catholic Church in the town, when other churches made public demonstrations against it.
By 1913, the congregation had consolidated. The chapel area was divided in half and the building renovated at the expense of iron founder, John Every. A vestibule was built, the preaching area was reoriented to the East, and the rest of the space became the multipurpose Hibbert Room. At the official reopening the Rev. Dr. Stopford A. Brooke before joining the Unitarians was Anglican Chaplain to Queen Victoria donated two silver chalices to Westgate, which Queen Victoria would have received communion from. They are fine Sheffield Plate and still used by the congregation today.
John Every was a notable local man who was an enthusiastic supporter of local history. He purchased Bull House, restored it and gave it to the Sussex Archaeological Society. In 1921, a new gateway was built outside from old stones tracked down from the ancient original West Gate of Lewes. It remains today a part of the history of Lewes. Other things of interest in the building are the old sounding board that once hung above the pulpit, an early amplification for the speaker. Once used upside down as a platform, but fortunately saving its inlaid pattern, it is now a table at the rear of the chapel. Our stained glass window was made as a memorial to John and Elizabeth Every, and was designed by Clayton and Bell in 1923 (they also did the famous window in Kings College Cambridge). It was installed in the east window of the Chapel. It depicts the Good Shepherd and also has the signs of St Mark (Lion), St Luke (Ox), St Matthew (Man), St John (Eagle), St Peter (Keys) and St Paul (Swords).
The picture above shows the two Chalice given by Brooke.
Below is a picture of the Chapel before it was split into two areas as it is today,
this is seen bottom left.
Since the Second World War, when Westgate lost many who fought for their country, Society has moved dramatically away from Religion in general. Westgate has remained and has tried to continue to be a church of the people of the Lewes Area. Numerically however it has become a small group that keeps it going. Moved to promote social action with a global flavour Westgate allowed its premises to be used for the One World Centre. There was a shop in the building that specialised in Fair Trade and also Oxfam had a shop there as well. Also under the umbrella title of Westgate One World Centre groups like CND, LGSRAS and Friends of the Earth have found a space to use in the town for their cause.
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