Nominal: 1564 Hz Weight: 448 lbs Diameter: 26.38" Bell 1 of 1
Founded by Thomas II Mears 1830
Dove Bell ID: 58921 Tower ID: 22871 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: quarter Cracked: No
Prestonville: St Luke
Overview
Grid reference: TQ 305 54
A small Gothic brick church located on the corner of Old Shoreham Road, which the south facade faces, and Stanford Road in the Prestonville area of Brighton, which is now a central suburb of the town just west of the railway station. Built in 1875, the architect was John Hill. It is designed in the Early English style. The nave has a steep roof with coped gables and cross finials, the west window is a 3-light plate tracery window within a pointed recess.
Visiting and facilities
Building is open for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
Four-bay aisled nave with three-bay cross-gabled north transept, short polygonal chancel flanked by vestry and south-east tower.
Dimensions:
Nave estimated to be c 22m (70ft) x 6m (19’6ft).
Description of Archaeology and History
Built in 1875, the architect was John Hill. The church was repaired in 1968-9 and re-roofed in 1997. The benches were replaced with chairs in 1998 and the building was also rewired at that time. The worship area was redecorated in 2000.
Exterior Description
The church is designed in the Early English style. The nave has a steep roof with coped gables and cross finials, the west window is a 3-light plate tracery window within a pointed recess. There are lancets in groups of three to each south aisle bay, the west bay is taken up by a brick gabled porch with a pointed moulded head to the doorway. The clearstorey is blind.
The chancel is masked by the tower on this side. This rises straight from the ground, a simple rectangle in plan. It is of three stages supported by diagonal buttresses to the east, with simple slit lights to the two lower stages and tall 2-light plate tracery openings to the belfry, except the west which has a small plate tracery window. Above is a tall broach spire with louvred lucarnes.
The north side is quite different, the aisle double width with cross-gables to the three eastern bays and a 3-light stepped window to each. The chancel has 2-light windows in the apse. There is a square flat-roofed vestry block north off the chancel, with a rectangular 3-light in the east wall and a single light in the north. A modern extension comes off this.
Building Fabric and Features
Nave
19th century 4-bay aisled
Transept
19th century north, 3-bay cross-gabled
Chancel
19th century short, polygonal
Vestry
19th century flanks chancel
Tower (component)
19th century south east
Building Materials
Brick
19th century mostly red with some decorative banding in black and white
Stone
19th century dressings
Tile
19th century roof covering
Wood
19th century roof structure
Interior
Interior Description
Moving inside, the interior is rendered and painted an odd greenish-blue, with yellow details, which makes it rather gloomy, despite the efforts of the strip lighting which cuts across the roof space. There is a gallery with a plain panelled front running across both nave and aisles at the west end of the church, which now contains partly glazed off office and storage space. The tall, plain pointed arcades and slender columns with the simplest capitals allow views across the church and into the shallow apsidal chancel, giving one large space which is crowded with modern chairs, the chancel like a stage with a projecting dais, full of drum kits and other instruments.
The original benches and other fixtures or fittings have been removed in favour of ranks of chairs, with the exception of the altar table and pulpit, perhaps of the same date as the church, and a few of the original benches round the walls of the building. The panelling and reredos in the chancel appear to be somewhat later and probably date from the late 19th or early 20th century. Two pointed doors at the east end of the north aisle give access to the vestry block, one similar in the south aisle to the tower. Boarded roof with collar and kingpost, ribbed and boarded chancel roof painted white, arch-braces to the aisles with traceried spandrels. Simple moulded corbels. The red carpet floors clash with the other colours.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
19th century Oak table.
Reredos
19th century Tripartite oak panelling. Takes up the whole width of the east wall.
Pulpit
19th century The pulpit is of oak, hexagonal with blind tracery panels.
Lectern
19th century Wood.
Font (component)
19th century Simple Gothic stone font, octagonal bowl.
Stained Glass (window)
19th cenutry Some coloured glass in the east windows.
Plaque (component)
20th century Several brass plaques commemorating parishioners and a memorial brass plaque in memory of the fallen in World War I.
Clock
19th century Given to the church by William Deacon in 1884.
Organ (component)
20th century Viscount Domus electronic.
Rail
19th century Wrought iron standards, oak hand rail.
Bells
Churchyard
Grid reference: TQ 305 54
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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