Church of the Good Shepherd, Brighton
Encyclopedia
The Church of the Good Shepherd is an Anglican church on Dyke Road on the border of Brighton
and Hove
, constituent parts of the English
city of Brighton and Hove. Although just inside Brighton, most of the parish is within the boundaries of Hove, and the official name of the parish reflects the fact that it was originally part of the large ecclesiastical parish of Preston—a village north of Brighton. The building, designed by Edward Prioleau Warren
in a simple Gothic style in the 1920s, has been given Grade II listed status in view of its architectural importance.
, a village approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of the centre of Brighton, had its own ecclesiastical parish until 1531. In that year, the parish was united with that of Hove, which was then a similar-sized village to the southwest, to form the joint benefice
of Hove-cum-Preston. In 1879 the parishes were separated again. By this time, residential development along Dyke Road—historically one of the main routes into Brighton from the north, and turnpiked
since 1777—was nearly complete. The boundary between Brighton and Hove was aligned along the west side of the road in 1873, but this did not affect the parish of Preston.
Prebendary
Gerald Henry Moor became vicar of the newly separate parish in 1905. Known for his cricketing skills earlier in his life, he held the position for 11 years until his death on 31 May 1916. His widow, Alice, decided to fund the construction of a church in his memory in part of the parish where there were no nearby Anglican places of worship. A temporary iron church was built on the east side of Dyke Road soon afterwards, and in December 1919 a committee was formed to inspect the plans submitted by architect Edward Warren. Alice Moor laid the foundation stone in 1920, and building work started on 2 July 1921; local firm Packham, Sons and Palmer were employed to execute Warren's design. The Bishop of Chichester
, Winfrid Oldfield Burrows
, consecrated the building on 31 May 1922.
The church became parished on 13 October 1922. The new parish was formed from the section of Preston parish west of the Brighton Main Line
, previously within the jurisdiction of St John the Evangelist's Church
, and part of the parish of St Luke's Church on Old Shoreham Road. The population of the area was about 4,000. The east end of the church (the rear of the building) was extended in 1927. The same building firm was used again, and they added a chancel
, vestry
, Lady chapel
and one extra bay
on the nave
. A square tower was also added at the front (west end), and the church was dedicated in its new form on 23 June 1927. A new church hall was built in 1936 to replace the former iron church, which had latterly been used as a church hall.
and wide dormer
windows. The interior, consisting of a five-bay nave and chancel under a tiled roof, is wide and low beneath a wagon ceiling. There is a Lady chapel at the southeast corner, another chapel on the northeast side containing a memorial to casualties of the First World War, a vestry, porch and the tower, which contains bells and is topped by a battlement
ed parapet and a flèche
. The west end, next to the tower, has a series of five lancet windows in a recessed pointed arch; above these is a statue depicting the Good Shepherd
. The Lady chapel has stained glass
, and the church's interior fittings include a reredos
.
on 26 August 1999. It is one of 1,124 Grade II-listed buildings and structures, and 1,218 listed buildings of all grades, in the city of Brighton and Hove.
There are three services every Sunday, including Evensong
, and either two or three prayer services or Eucharist
ic services on other days of the week. Taizé-style services
take place several times a year.
The extent of the parish is the same as when it was defined in 1922. Its boundaries are the railway line between Preston Park station
and Dyke Road Drive; Highcroft Villas; Dyke Road; Old Shoreham Road; Hove Park
; Goldstone Crescent; Woodland Drive; Tredcroft Road; and Tivoli Crescent North.
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
and Hove
Hove
Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
, constituent parts of the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
city of Brighton and Hove. Although just inside Brighton, most of the parish is within the boundaries of Hove, and the official name of the parish reflects the fact that it was originally part of the large ecclesiastical parish of Preston—a village north of Brighton. The building, designed by Edward Prioleau Warren
Edward Prioleau Warren
Edward Prioleau Warren was a British architect and archaeologist.-Life:He was born at Cotham in Bristol, England on 30 October 1856, as the fifth son of A. W. Warren, JP. He was educated at Clifton College in Bristol, and subsequently articled to G.F. Bodley, whose biography he later wrote...
in a simple Gothic style in the 1920s, has been given Grade II listed status in view of its architectural importance.
History
PrestonPreston Village, Brighton
Preston Village is a suburban area of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex to the north of the centre. Originally a village in its own right, it was eventually absorbed into Brighton with the development of the farmland owned by the local Stanford family, officially becoming a parish of the town in 1928...
, a village approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of the centre of Brighton, had its own ecclesiastical parish until 1531. In that year, the parish was united with that of Hove, which was then a similar-sized village to the southwest, to form the joint benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
of Hove-cum-Preston. In 1879 the parishes were separated again. By this time, residential development along Dyke Road—historically one of the main routes into Brighton from the north, and turnpiked
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
since 1777—was nearly complete. The boundary between Brighton and Hove was aligned along the west side of the road in 1873, but this did not affect the parish of Preston.
Prebendary
Prebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
Gerald Henry Moor became vicar of the newly separate parish in 1905. Known for his cricketing skills earlier in his life, he held the position for 11 years until his death on 31 May 1916. His widow, Alice, decided to fund the construction of a church in his memory in part of the parish where there were no nearby Anglican places of worship. A temporary iron church was built on the east side of Dyke Road soon afterwards, and in December 1919 a committee was formed to inspect the plans submitted by architect Edward Warren. Alice Moor laid the foundation stone in 1920, and building work started on 2 July 1921; local firm Packham, Sons and Palmer were employed to execute Warren's design. The Bishop of Chichester
Bishop of Chichester
The Bishop of Chichester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the Counties of East and West Sussex. The see is in the City of Chichester where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity...
, Winfrid Oldfield Burrows
Winfrid Oldfield Burrows
The Rt Rev Winfrid Oldfield Burrows, DD The Rt Rev Winfrid Oldfield Burrows, DD The Rt Rev Winfrid Oldfield Burrows, DD (9 November 1858 – 13 February 1929 was the Bishop of Truro and later Chichester in the first third of the 20th century. Born into an ecclesiastical family, he was educated at...
, consecrated the building on 31 May 1922.
The church became parished on 13 October 1922. The new parish was formed from the section of Preston parish west of the Brighton Main Line
Brighton Main Line
The Brighton Main Line is a British railway line from London Victoria and London Bridge to Brighton. It is about 50 miles long, and is electrified throughout. Trains are operated by Southern, First Capital Connect, and Gatwick Express, now part of Southern.-Original proposals:There were no fewer...
, previously within the jurisdiction of St John the Evangelist's Church
St John the Evangelist's Church, Preston Village, Brighton
St John the Evangelist's Church is an Anglican church in the Preston Village area of Brighton, in the English city of Brighton and Hove. The Grade II listed building, designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield, was started in 1901 but did not take its present form for another quarter of a century...
, and part of the parish of St Luke's Church on Old Shoreham Road. The population of the area was about 4,000. The east end of the church (the rear of the building) was extended in 1927. The same building firm was used again, and they added a chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
, vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
, Lady chapel
Lady chapel
A Lady chapel, also called Mary chapel or Marian chapel, is a traditional English term for a chapel inside a cathedral, basilica, or large church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary...
and one extra bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
on the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
. A square tower was also added at the front (west end), and the church was dedicated in its new form on 23 June 1927. A new church hall was built in 1936 to replace the former iron church, which had latterly been used as a church hall.
Architecture
Edward Warren's design for the Church of the Good Shepherd was simple Gothic. The exterior was built in mixed, mostly brown, brick with some concrete and stone facings. There is a mixture of lancetLancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
and wide dormer
Dormer
A dormer is a structural element of a building that protrudes from the plane of a sloping roof surface. Dormers are used, either in original construction or as later additions, to create usable space in the roof of a building by adding headroom and usually also by enabling addition of windows.Often...
windows. The interior, consisting of a five-bay nave and chancel under a tiled roof, is wide and low beneath a wagon ceiling. There is a Lady chapel at the southeast corner, another chapel on the northeast side containing a memorial to casualties of the First World War, a vestry, porch and the tower, which contains bells and is topped by a battlement
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
ed parapet and a flèche
Flèche
A flèche is used in French architecture to refer to a spire and in English to refer to a lead-covered timber spire, or spirelet. These are placed on the ridges of church or cathedral roofs and are usually relatively small...
. The west end, next to the tower, has a series of five lancet windows in a recessed pointed arch; above these is a statue depicting the Good Shepherd
Good Shepherd
Good Shepherd may refer to:In Christianity:* The Good Shepherd , pericope found in John 10:1-21, and a popular image in which the Good Shepherd represents Jesus...
. The Lady chapel has stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
, and the church's interior fittings include a reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
.
The church today
The Church of the Good Shepherd was listed at Grade II by English HeritageEnglish Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
on 26 August 1999. It is one of 1,124 Grade II-listed buildings and structures, and 1,218 listed buildings of all grades, in the city of Brighton and Hove.
There are three services every Sunday, including Evensong
Evening Prayer (Anglican)
Evening Prayer is a liturgy in use in the Anglican Communion and celebrated in the late afternoon or evening...
, and either two or three prayer services or Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
ic services on other days of the week. Taizé-style services
Taizé Community
The Taizé Community is an ecumenical monastic order in Taizé, Saône-et-Loire, Burgundy, France. It is composed of about 100 brothers who come from Protestant, Eastern Orthodox and Catholic traditions. The brothers come from about 30 countries across the world. The monastic order has a strong...
take place several times a year.
The extent of the parish is the same as when it was defined in 1922. Its boundaries are the railway line between Preston Park station
Preston Park railway station
Preston Park railway station serves the northern suburban areas of Brighton in East Sussex, England. It is on the Brighton Main Line and Thameslink 2 km north of Brighton railway station, and train services are provided by Southern and First Capital Connect...
and Dyke Road Drive; Highcroft Villas; Dyke Road; Old Shoreham Road; Hove Park
Hove Park
Hove Park is a park within the English city of Brighton & Hove.The park is very popular with local residents and dog walkers throughout the year. A paved path goes all round the park, approximately 1.89 kilometres in length, and is often used by walkers and runners. There are also several paved...
; Goldstone Crescent; Woodland Drive; Tredcroft Road; and Tivoli Crescent North.