Nominal: 581 Hz Weight: 2856 lbs Diameter: 54" Bell 1 of 10
Founded by Mears & Stainbank 1914
Dove Bell ID: 1025 Tower ID: 10532 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Brighton: St Peter
Diocese of Chichester
Major Parish Church, 610044
http://www.stpetersbrighton.orgThis church is on the Heritage at Risk Register (verified 2024-11-14)
View more information about this church on the Heritage at Risk website
Overview
Grid reference: TQ 314 48
The large Gothic stone church of St Peter dominates the main route of entry into Brighton, standing on a long green which is in effect now a large traffic island, the A27 running on both sides of it. This building was built to be its Anglican showpiece at the height of the town’s expansion, despite its original status as a Chapel-of-ease to St Nicholas, the ancient parish church. It was designed in the Perpendicular style, but all treated quite loosely with flair and imagination.
Visiting and facilities
Building is open for worship
Services held throughout the day on Sunday. Facilities include toilets (accessible), baby change facilities, parking (accessible), and a ramped entrance. The church has bell ringing, an organ, regular choir and holds concerts. There is also a Sunday school and crèche.
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
7-bay aisled nave, 2-bay chancel flanked by side chapel and vestry/organ chamber, west tower. Hall to north, big enough to be a separate church.
Dimensions:
Nave estimated to be c 30m (110ft) x 11m (40ft).
Footprint of Church buildings: 1236 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
Brighton has older churches, but this building was built to be its Anglican showpiece at the height of the town’s expansion, despite its original status as a Chapel-of-ease to St Nicholas, the ancient parish church. A competition to design the church was held, won to general surprise by the relatively unknown Charles Barry, who was only 28 at the time, and built with money from the Commissioners between 1824 and 1828. Barry was to become a very a busy man; in the same year he had won his first major civic commission, the Royal Institution in Manchester (later to become the City Art Gallery), by contrast in his preferred neo-Classical style. In Brighton he went on to design the Royal Sussex County Hospital in 1828.
The original church building consisted of the existing tower and aisled nave and a small apsidal chancel, making it internally symmetrical. Inside, the nave had galleries to the north, south and west. Some drawings are preserved within the church showing that a spire was intended which would have emphasised still further the verticality of this most physically isolated of town centre churches, but this was never built.
By 1872 the church was in need of repair and liturgical reordering. It was decided to extend the nave by one bay, remove part of the west gallery to accommodate the organ and replace the box pews in the nave with new seating. This was done by J T Micklethwaite and George Somers Clarke Junior, the son of the vestry clerk. St Peter’s was raised to parish church status at this time. The replacement of the polygonal chancel was also proposed at this time but was only begun in 1889. The chapel was finished in 1898, and the chancel in 1906. The nave galleries were removed during the earlier phase of the work. The memorial hall to the north was added in 1927.
The church was thoroughly restored by J L Denman in 1966 (who also worked at St Paul’s West Street and elsewhere), whose work included the painting of the decorated chancel ceiling. There is now a nave altar, standing on roughly the same spot as Barry’s original, added in 1987 at which point the foremost four rows of nave benches were removed and the choir stalls moved forward. The history of the church is therefore characterised by constant evolution, rather than representing a fixed point in time or being the product of a single vision, though Barry’s was certainly the most important contribution.
Exterior Description
The church was designed in the Perpendicular style, but all treated quite loosely with great flair and imagination. Although a “Commissioner’s church”, it is by no means a standard or weak design, but a tour de force. Goodhart-Rendel says of it, “No better Gothic church than this was designed during the first quarter of the nineteenth century”, with which it would be hard to argue. Verticality is the dominant theme, both inside and out; the later additions have tended to “spread out” the church by lengthening and broadening its footprint.
The additions are also of good quality, the chancel by Micklethwaite & Somers Clarke in a later Perpendicular style and a little incongruous, possibly an attempt to indicate an archaeological development. The difference in colour and texture of the Portland and Weald stone emphasise these disparate parts. The north hall is a considerable feature in its own right, rather unbalancing the composition.
The church is said to have been inspired by the Lady chapel at York Minster. The tower is the feature with most impact, although it is not particularly big, rather in the tradition of “weak” Commissioner’s church towers. The composition is anything but weak, however, being slender and graceful, with tall corner pinnacles making up somewhat for the lack of height and footprint.
Indeed, the whole building is embellished with pinnacles to each bay, the largest rising from the western corners of the nave and framing the tower itself. This framing motif is picked up again by flying buttresses springing to the central stage of the tower, surely an architectural conceit considering the support given by the broad lower stage with its quadripartite base. Barry was seemingly intent on being as flamboyant with the vocabulary of Gothic as Nash had just been with the “Eastern” architecture of the Royal Pavilion.
The upper stage of the tower framed by the pinnacles is crowned by a quatrefoiled parapet, underneath which is the belfry stage, with extremely tall 2-light openings with moulded and crocketed ogee heads; there is blind panel tracery in the spandrels, three bays each side.
The middle stage has a clock face within a squared frame, the buttresses now plain under the pinnacles. This is recessed behind a gabletted parapet with quatrefoils in the gablets (a motif repeated elsewhere), in the middle of which rises the finial of a huge ogee arch with moulded frames containing a 3-light Decorated window over the west door, the latter within its own squared frame, a most original composition. Again, just to top it off, slender pinnacles rise from the moulded capitals of the hoodmould. Similar doorways to the south and north sides of the tower base. There are 3-light windows in the west ends of the aisles over slender pointed doorways with ogee finials (these invisible on the inside as they lead to small rooms and the stairs flanking the tower).
The nave has huge pointed 3-light windows with Perpendicular tracery under hoodmoulds with head stops between pinnacled and crocketed buttresses, including thick panelled transoms in the aisle windows across the middle which were related to the internal galleries to the aisles. The quite narrow clearstorey has 2-light flat-arched windows with trefoiled and intersecting tracery.
The south-east chapel is of 4 bays, its east window of five lights under a depressed arch, the south side having a 4-centred-arched entrance under a lean-to roof with ogee hoodmould, flanking lesenes, a band of dogtooth ornament and cornice, and four 4-centred, 4-light windows between pinnacled and crocketed buttresses. The chancel clearstorey has six 3-light windows, the east window is an enormous 11-light with Perpendicular tracery, broad and just pointed, with a stepped parapet above. Small windows in the protruding plinth betray the existence of the undercroft. The gabled and rendered memorial hall has a shallow porch with pointed doorway and five 3-light Tudor-arched windows on the south side between shallow buttresses and a 5-light east and west window.
Building Fabric and Features
Nave
19th century 7-bay aisled
Chancel
19th century 2-bay
Chapel (component)
19th century flanks chancel
Vestry
19th century flanks chancel
Organ (component)
19th century chamber
Tower (component)
19th century west
Church Hall
19th century north of the church, large
Building Materials
Portland Stone
19th century walls
Sandstone
19th century Weald, in the chancel
Timber
19th century roof structure
Plaster
19th century internally
Slate
19th century nave roof
Lead
19th century tower roof
Copper
19th century chancel roof
Interior
Interior Description
Entering through the internal porches and the tower space with its attractively painted vaulted roof with the Agnus dei into the nave, the interior appears rather disjointed and it is easy to feel rather lost in the vast spaces of the nave and chancel, with no break between in the absence of a chancel arch or screen. The arcades are carried through unbroken into the chancel with huge square responds the only demarcation. The nave altar focuses one’s eyes well short of the chancel, which recedes into gloominess behind.
Adding to this first impression is the contrast between the rendered and whitewashed nave and the bare stone of the east wall of the chancel, quite different in feel and again crying out for demarcation. The huge east window under its broad arch is again somewhat at odds with the verticality of Barry’s composition. The interior would have looked very different when the nave had galleries on three sides and the space was closed to the east by Barry’s apse. As it is the nave seems a little empty and bleak.
To give a little more detail, the nave is fully pewed with 1870s benches (some have been removed to make way for the nave altar) which have attractive carving on the bench ends, but are not exceptional. The view west is of blank white walls, with panelled pointed doors in the canted side walls of the west end giving access to the stairs and rooms already mentioned. Dado panelling to aisles and base of nave arcade. Stone floors throughout with lozenge patterning in the chancel, some with inscribed dates. The nave arcades are carried on clustered columns with hollow mouldings acting as vault-shafts carrying the sexpartite rib-vaulted plaster roof of the nave, with foliate bosses, and quadripartite vaulting to the aisles. The south-east chapel (dedicated to St George) has a flat panelled ceiling as has the first bay of both aisles, arched entrances with an ornate crocketed archivolt of ogee profile. Within the chapel are an ornate reredos and a marble piscina and aumbry, modern chairs, chequerboard floor.
The chancel, though a fine design in its own right, forms a second lofty and rather disparate space, despite the rhythm of the tall slender pointed and moulded arcades continuing unbroken in an effort to mitigate this. The arcades are slightly different in their detailing, clustered columns with wave moulding and vault-shafts supporting wooden brackets break through the coved frieze of scrolling foliage at wall-plate level. Above is a low-pitched, panelled roof with bosses and painted emblems. There are corbelled out rood openings in the chancel responds (no arch), which are also carved with the keys of St Peter and the names of benefactors including two Mayors of Brighton. The enormous organ case and pipes dominate the north side of the chancel, behind this a doorway leads off to vestries and the undercroft, a mostly unused space of brick rooms and corridors. It is presumed that the handsome set of choir stalls with poppyheads was introduced when the chancel was completed in 1906; they have been moved west to flank the nave altar. There is a sedilia of six bays with ornate carving and cornice. Flanking the altar, which is raised several steps, are crocketed niches with statues of the Virgin Mary and St Peter.
Fixtures and fittings
Clock
located in Tower made by JohnSmith & Sons from Derby
Altar
19th century The high altar is an oak table with turned legs, perhaps the original. Plain tables elsewhere.
Reredos
20th century The reredos designed by W H Randoll Blacking was damaged in an arson attack in 1985, and is now kept in the crypt. A brass plaque records the reredos was given in 1930 in memory of Francis Pierce, vicar 1917-23. The replacement is a figure of Christ, carved and painted by John Armstrong, a local artist. He also painted the sign outside showing St Peter fishing with a net. The reredos in the St George’s chapel is a World War I memorial in late Gothic style incorporating a triptych of c1918, painted by Edward A Fellowes Prynne. An inscription in the floor states that the reredos and altar were given in memory of John Muzzall Newnham, Churchwarden 1877-81 by his children.
Pulpit
20th century Octagonal pulpit of wood with carved tracery panels on a coved on a stone base, with late Gothic detailing, 1907.
Lectern
20th century Brass eagle lectern with moulded base and lion’s feet, given 1906. Wooden ambo.
Font (component)
19th century Octagonal Sussex marble font with shields to alternate bowl panels, panelled stem, given in memory of first incumbent. Plain stone pedestal.
Stained Glass (window)
19th / 20th century Much, summarised as follows: • The earliest stained glass in the church is that in the clearstorey. This was given to the church either by the Rev H M Wagner or members of his family and is believed to be by William Warrington, perhaps of the 1860s. • The east window in the chancel has Christ in Glory flanked by saints and prophets, and a portrait of Queen Victoria in the bottom right hand corner, in whose memory the window was installed in the first years of the 20th century. The chapel east window has the Crucifixion, and the side window, a 4-light, martyrs of the church. These windows are said to be by C E Kempe, but this is doubtful. • Certainly by Kempe are various other windows in the aisles and west end, particularly those under the transoms which are of the 1880s. These are mostly given by Dean Hannah in memory of members of his family, or in memory of Col de Lancey. Themes include the Annunication: the vision of Zacharias and John the Baptist proclaiming Jesus, who then calls the fishermen to follow him: the angels at the tomb proclaiming the resurrection. An interesting lancet at the west end has St Peter, with a depiction of the church beneath. • The windows above the transoms (originally covered by the galleries) are early-mid 20th century, brighter in colour, but retrospective in style. They have portraits of saints. • The mid-20th-century Jesse window in a north aisle 3-light is by Hugh Easton, designer of the Battle of Britain window in Westminster Abbey. In memory of Richard and Ruth Major, died 1936, 1948.
Inscribed Object
19th century • Nine good 19th-century wall monuments at the west end, including busts and figurative sculpture; these are at high level, grimy and difficult to read. The best of these to Joseph Allen, died 1831 a bracketed bust with drapery over; to Caroline Lancey, died 1897, angel conducting the deceased to heaven; and to Emily Jane Crozier, a female figure with urn on column. • A plain white marble tablet with black lettering extols the career and virtues of the incumbent the Ven John Hannah, died 1888 who made the St Peter’s the parish church and divided up the old parish of St Nicholas. Donated by his son, his successor in office.
Plaque (component)
19th / 20th century Several brass plaques in memory of parishioners.
Inscribed Object
20th century • Faded stone tablet set into wall in memory of Charles Gervaise (?), born 1852, Colonel of West Sussex Yeomanry and other roles in the Boer War. Damaged coat of arms above in head. • Stone tablet with lettering in relief in memory of Lt William Hannah of the Leicestershire Regiment, killed in the Boer War, regimental arms in the head above, chequered frame. • Carved wall inscription to Charles Campion Lt Impl Yeory killed 1901 at Vlakfonteins, South Africa. • Brass tablet to the men of the 1st Vol Batt Sussex Regiment fallen in South Africa 1900-02. • Long brass tablet in memory of Lt Laurence Robert Needham, 5th Batt Hampshire regiment killed 1916 in Mesopotamia; donated by his mother, nicely lettered.
Organ (component)
20th century Exceptional 4-manual pipe organ with 43 speaking stops by Father Henry Willis, worthy of a cathedral. This was given to the church in 1910, repaired by Hill & Sons and Norman & Beard in 1956. Electric action. The fine case was designed by J L Denman in 1966. Piano by Offenbach.
Rail
20th century Wooden Gothic tracery in the chapel, perhaps c 1900.
Bells
Nominal: 1483 Hz Weight: 622 lbs Diameter: 28.63" Bell 2 of 10
Founded by Mears & Stainbank 1914
Dove Bell ID: 13009 Tower ID: 10532 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 1325.5 Hz Weight: 642 lbs Diameter: 29.75" Bell 3 of 10
Founded by Mears & Stainbank 1914
Dove Bell ID: 13010 Tower ID: 10532 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 1174.5 Hz Weight: 719 lbs Diameter: 31.63" Bell 4 of 10
Founded by Mears & Stainbank 1914
Dove Bell ID: 13011 Tower ID: 10532 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 1107.5 Hz Weight: 763 lbs Diameter: 32.5" Bell 5 of 10
Founded by Mears & Stainbank 1914
Dove Bell ID: 13012 Tower ID: 10532 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 980.5 Hz Weight: 878 lbs Diameter: 35.38" Bell 6 of 10
Founded by Mears & Stainbank 1914
Dove Bell ID: 13013 Tower ID: 10532 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 873 Hz Weight: 1011 lbs Diameter: 37.88" Bell 7 of 10
Founded by Mears & Stainbank 1914
Dove Bell ID: 13014 Tower ID: 10532 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 782 Hz Weight: 1297 lbs Diameter: 41.38" Bell 8 of 10
Founded by Mears & Stainbank 1914
Dove Bell ID: 13015 Tower ID: 10532 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 720.5 Hz Weight: 1484 lbs Diameter: 43.38" Bell 9 of 10
Founded by Mears & Stainbank 1914
Dove Bell ID: 13016 Tower ID: 10532 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 656 Hz Weight: 1929 lbs Diameter: 47.75" Bell 10 of 10
Founded by Mears & Stainbank 1914
Dove Bell ID: 13017 Tower ID: 10532 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Portable Furnishings and Artworks
Parish registers date from 1872.
A book of remembrance in memory of the fallen in World War I.
Churchyard
Grid reference: TQ 314 48
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Sources
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