Crawley College students reclaim historic timber from St Swithun’s Church 

Architectural joinery & furniture students from Crawley College enjoyed a hands-on and inspiring visit to St Swithun’s Church in East Grinstead earlier this month, combining practical skills with heritage learning. 

The primary purpose of the visit was to carefully remove several solid oak pews, generously donated by the church. 
 
These pews will now be repurposed by students across both level 2 and 3 courses for upcoming projects, including contributions to the Crawley Community Spaces Project. 
 
The removal process provided a valuable opportunity to apply skills in health and safety, teamwork, communication, and the use of power tools, all while reinforcing the importance of sustainability in joinery. 
 
Following the removal, students were treated to a fascinating guided tour by churchwarden John Lancaster. 
 
The students explored the rich history and evolving structure of the building, with a focus on its architectural joinery, including the doors, stairs, and intricate carvings.  
 
They also had the opportunity to climb the bell tower, examine the roof structure, and step inside the timber framework of the church organ. 
 
Trevor Francis, lecturer in carpentry & joinery at Crawley College, said: “This was a fantastic experience for our students and gave them a first-hand lesson in sustainability, which was a key theme throughout the day and our visit to St Swithun’s. 
 
“John highlighted the church’s efforts to reduce its environmental impact, such as repurposing old pews into new storage furniture and installing solar panels – something that tied in well with the students’ recent lessons in the Green Village! 
 
“It was a great insight for them into how the church building has evolved, and continues to evolve, and how it requires highly skilled workers to complete this type of heritage work. 
 
“I must give a special thanks to Lee from our Estates team, who kindly provided transport for the timber back to college, and to Simon Wilson for his support on the day.”