St Mary's Church

St Mary's Church is the Anglican parish church of the Hampden Park suburb of Eastbourne, a town and borough in the English county of East Sussex. Originally linked to the church at nearby Willingdon, it later became a separate parish church. The first building was destroyed by a bomb during World War II, and Edward Maufe was commissioned to design a replacement church; the hilltop building, finished in 1954, has been called "one of his most charming designs". English Heritage has listed it at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance.

Until the early 19th century, the area covered by the present town of Eastbourne was thinly populated: there were four small settlements separated by farmland. The oldest, originally known as Bourne and now as the Old Town, was the site of the old parish church. Residential development was focused on the seafront until the start of the 20th century, when suburbs began to develop inland around the main roads and railway line. These were initially served by the ancient parish church of Willingdon, a village which was later surrounded by 20th-century housing.

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