St Margaret's Church, Rottingdean
Encyclopedia
St Margaret's Church is an Anglican church in Rottingdean
, in the English
city of Brighton and Hove. It is the parish church of the previously separate village of Rottingdean, which became part of the former Borough of Brighton in 1928. Parts of the structure date from the 13th century, and it is a Grade II* listed building.
started building a cruciform church in the early 12th century, but its tower (located on the site of the Saxon building's chancel
) collapsed during construction, destroying the new chancel and the transept
, although the nave
survived. By the early 13th century the chancel had been rebuilt and the nave extended by four bays
. These were added to the south aisle, but this fell out of use after 1377 when the church and surrounding buildings were sacked
by French invaders who had landed on the coast nearby. Damage to the west wall necessitated rebuilding at the same time, and the south aisle was blocked up.
The church remained structurally unaltered until a major restoration
in 1856 by Sir George Gilbert Scott
. A new three-bay south aisle was built; Scott removed an ancient window from the original aisle and built it into one of the new walls. The chancel wall was also partly rebuilt at this time. Earlier in the 19th century, box pew
s and a gallery were added; Scott removed the gallery during his restoration.
Additions in the 20th century comprised a porch
at the west entrance, erected in 1908, and vestries
in one corner of the nave, added in the 1970s in a style appropriate to the mediaeval architectural style of the church. A new gallery, at the west end of the nave and accommodating the organ
, was also built in 1908; the original gallery had been on the south side. The bowl of the original Norman font
was discovered in the vicarage garden; a replica was made in 1910, and the original bowl was displayed in the church.
Sir Edward Burne-Jones
, Pre-Raphaelite
artist and designer, is buried in the nave. His wife Georgiana, one of the MacDonald sisters
, and their granddaughter, novelist Angela Thirkell
, are also buried there. The ancient churchyard, extended in 1883, 1905 (with land donated by William Nevill, 1st Marquess of Abergavenny
) and 1920, includes the graves of Scottish novelist William Black and music hall entertainer
G. H. Elliott
.
Lucy Ridsdale
, daughter of Edward Ridsdale of The Dene, a house on the village green, married Stanley Baldwin
in the church in 1892. He later served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
on three occasions. The Baldwins donated a chair to the church in 1942; this stands in the chancel.
Sir Edward Burne-Jones, who designed many of the stained glass
windows in the church, lived at a house on the village green for 18 years until his death in 1898. He was the uncle of author and poet Rudyard Kipling
, who moved to a nearby house (The Elms) in 1897. Kipling wrote many of the Just So Stories
during his time there.
In the early 20th century, a proposal was received from the developers of the Forest Lawn Memorial Park
, a private cemetery in Glendale, California
. They wanted to buy the church, dismantle it stone by stone, ship it to the United States and rebuild it in the park. A price was offered, but the sale was refused, so in the 1940s a series of drawings were made, and an exact replica was built instead. This was called the Church of the Recessional to commemorate Kipling's poem "Recessional
".
, with stone dressings and a tiled roof. Although the 19th-century work by Scott also used flint, its pattern is more even than the random distribution seen in the original walls. The entrance is at the west end, opposite the village green, and reached through a lychgate
dating from 1897 in memory of Revd Arthur Thomas, vicar of the church for 47 years until his death in 1895. (Two windows in the square tower are also memorials to him.) The entrance door is flanked by two heavy buttress
es. On top of the steeply pitched roof at the west end is a small cross, and a large clock is embedded in the wall below this.
The main structures of the nave, chancel and tower are all original. There are a series of trefoil and lancet window
s on all sides, many of which are paired. Many of these have stained glass
; most were designed by Sir Edward Burne-Jones. In particular, the east wall has three tall lancet windows and a quatrefoil; the lancet windows, installed in 1893 in commemoration of Burne-Jones's daughter Margaret's marriage, represent the archangels Gabriel
, Michael
and Raphael.
and Saltdean
—the coast road
as far as Roedean, and surrounding areas of downland
.
Services are held in the church on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays for the parish, and on Wednesdays for pupils at St Margaret's Church of England Primary School. Sermons are available to download as podcast
s.
Rottingdean
Rottingdean is a coastal village next to the town of Brighton and technically within the city of Brighton and Hove, in East Sussex, on the south coast of England...
, in 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. It is the parish church of the previously separate village of Rottingdean, which became part of the former Borough of Brighton in 1928. Parts of the structure date from the 13th century, and it is a Grade II* listed building.
History
The church is in the northeastern corner of the Green, the ancient heart of the village. A place of worship has stood in the position since the Saxon period, although there is disagreement over whether any part of the current structure is of Saxon origin. The NormansNormans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
started building a cruciform church in the early 12th century, but its tower (located on the site of the Saxon building's 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...
) collapsed during construction, destroying the new chancel and the transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
, although 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...
survived. By the early 13th century the chancel had been rebuilt and the nave extended by four bays
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:...
. These were added to the south aisle, but this fell out of use after 1377 when the church and surrounding buildings were sacked
Looting
Looting —also referred to as sacking, plundering, despoiling, despoliation, and pillaging—is the indiscriminate taking of goods by force as part of a military or political victory, or during a catastrophe, such as during war, natural disaster, or rioting...
by French invaders who had landed on the coast nearby. Damage to the west wall necessitated rebuilding at the same time, and the south aisle was blocked up.
The church remained structurally unaltered until a major restoration
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
in 1856 by Sir George Gilbert Scott
George Gilbert Scott
Sir George Gilbert Scott was an English architect of the Victorian Age, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches, cathedrals and workhouses...
. A new three-bay south aisle was built; Scott removed an ancient window from the original aisle and built it into one of the new walls. The chancel wall was also partly rebuilt at this time. Earlier in the 19th century, box pew
Box pew
Box pew is a type of church pew that is encased in panelling and was prevalent in England and other Protestant countries from the 16th to early 19th century.-History in England:...
s and a gallery were added; Scott removed the gallery during his restoration.
Additions in the 20th century comprised a porch
Porch
A porch is external to the walls of the main building proper, but may be enclosed by screen, latticework, broad windows, or other light frame walls extending from the main structure.There are various styles of porches, all of which depend on the architectural tradition of its location...
at the west entrance, erected in 1908, and vestries
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....
in one corner of the nave, added in the 1970s in a style appropriate to the mediaeval architectural style of the church. A new gallery, at the west end of the nave and accommodating the organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, was also built in 1908; the original gallery had been on the south side. The bowl of the original Norman font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
was discovered in the vicarage garden; a replica was made in 1910, and the original bowl was displayed in the church.
Sir Edward Burne-Jones
Edward Burne-Jones
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Baronet was a British artist and designer closely associated with the later phase of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, who worked closely with William Morris on a wide range of decorative arts as a founding partner in Morris, Marshall, Faulkner, and Company...
, Pre-Raphaelite
Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was a group of English painters, poets, and critics, founded in 1848 by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais and Dante Gabriel Rossetti...
artist and designer, is buried in the nave. His wife Georgiana, one of the MacDonald sisters
MacDonald sisters
The MacDonald sisters were four British sisters, notable for their marriages to well-known people of the Victorian era. Alice, Georgiana, Agnes and Louisa were four of the seven daughters and 11 children of Reverend George Browne MacDonald , a Methodist minister, and Hannah Jones .- Biographies...
, and their granddaughter, novelist Angela Thirkell
Angela Thirkell
Angela Margaret Thirkell , was an English and Australian novelist. She also published one novel, Trooper to Southern Cross, under the pseudonym Leslie Parker.-Early life:...
, are also buried there. The ancient churchyard, extended in 1883, 1905 (with land donated by William Nevill, 1st Marquess of Abergavenny
William Nevill, 1st Marquess of Abergavenny
William Nevill, 1st Marquess of Abergavenny KG, MVO , styled Viscount Neville between 1845 and 1868 and known as The Earl of Abergavenny between 1868 and 1876, was a British peer....
) and 1920, includes the graves of Scottish novelist William Black and music hall entertainer
Music hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
G. H. Elliott
G. H. Elliott
G. H. Elliott was a British music hall singer and dancer. He was born George Henry Elliott in Rochdale, Lancashire in 1882Known as the "Chocolate Coloured Coon", he came on stage with a painted black face but dressed entirely in white...
.
Lucy Ridsdale
Lucy Baldwin, Countess Baldwin of Bewdley
Lucy Baldwin, Countess Baldwin of Bewdley, GBE, DGStJ was the wife of British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin...
, daughter of Edward Ridsdale of The Dene, a house on the village green, married Stanley Baldwin
Stanley Baldwin
Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, KG, PC was a British Conservative politician, who dominated the government in his country between the two world wars...
in the church in 1892. He later served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
on three occasions. The Baldwins donated a chair to the church in 1942; this stands in the chancel.
Sir Edward Burne-Jones, who designed many of the 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...
windows in the church, lived at a house on the village green for 18 years until his death in 1898. He was the uncle of author and poet Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
, who moved to a nearby house (The Elms) in 1897. Kipling wrote many of the Just So Stories
Just So Stories
The Just So Stories for Little Children were written by British author Rudyard Kipling. They are highly fantasised origin stories and are among Kipling's best known works.-Description:...
during his time there.
In the early 20th century, a proposal was received from the developers of the Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Forest Lawn Memorial Park is a privately owned cemetery in Glendale, California. It is the original location of Forest Lawn, a chain of cemeteries in Southern California. The land was formerly part of Providencia Ranch.-History:...
, a private cemetery in Glendale, California
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
. They wanted to buy the church, dismantle it stone by stone, ship it to the United States and rebuild it in the park. A price was offered, but the sale was refused, so in the 1940s a series of drawings were made, and an exact replica was built instead. This was called the Church of the Recessional to commemorate Kipling's poem "Recessional
Recessional (poem)
"Recessional" is a poem by Rudyard Kipling, which he composed on the occasion of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897. The poem, on the one hand, expresses pride in the British Empire, but, on the other, expresses an underlying sadness that the Empire might go the way of all previous empires...
".
Architecture
The church is built of flintFlint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
, with stone dressings and a tiled roof. Although the 19th-century work by Scott also used flint, its pattern is more even than the random distribution seen in the original walls. The entrance is at the west end, opposite the village green, and reached through a lychgate
Lychgate
A lychgate, also spelled lichgate, lycugate, or as two separate words lych gate, is a gateway covered with a roof found at the entrance to a traditional English or English-style churchyard.-Name:...
dating from 1897 in memory of Revd Arthur Thomas, vicar of the church for 47 years until his death in 1895. (Two windows in the square tower are also memorials to him.) The entrance door is flanked by two heavy buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es. On top of the steeply pitched roof at the west end is a small cross, and a large clock is embedded in the wall below this.
The main structures of the nave, chancel and tower are all original. There are a series of trefoil and lancet window
Lancet 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...
s on all sides, many of which are paired. Many of these have 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...
; most were designed by Sir Edward Burne-Jones. In particular, the east wall has three tall lancet windows and a quatrefoil; the lancet windows, installed in 1893 in commemoration of Burne-Jones's daughter Margaret's marriage, represent the archangels Gabriel
Gabriel
In Abrahamic religions, Gabriel is an Archangel who typically serves as a messenger to humans from God.He first appears in the Book of Daniel, delivering explanations of Daniel's visions. In the Gospel of Luke Gabriel foretells the births of both John the Baptist and of Jesus...
, Michael
Michael (archangel)
Michael , Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; , Mikhaḗl; or Míchaël; , Mīkhā'īl) is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans refer to him as Saint Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael...
and Raphael.
The church today
St Margaret's was listed at Grade II* on 13 October 1952. As of February 2001, it was one of 70 Grade II*-listed buildings and structures, and 1,218 listed buildings of all grades, in the city of Brighton and Hove. It remains in active use for worship, and is the only Anglican church in the Benefice of Rottingdean. The parish covers the whole of Rottingdean—reaching to the boundaries of OvingdeanOvingdean
Ovingdean is a small formerly agricultural village which was absorbed into the borough of Brighton, East Sussex, UK, in 1928, and now forms part of the city of Brighton and Hove. It has expanded through the growth of residential streets on its eastern and southern sides, and now has a population of...
and Saltdean
Saltdean
Saltdean is a residential district located on the chalk cliffs of the south coast of England in East Sussex, United Kingdom. It is situated on the eastern edge of the city of Brighton and Hove, with part outside the city boundary in Lewes district...
—the coast road
A259 road
The A259 is a busy road on the south coast of England passing through Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and part of Kent. Part of the road was named "the most dangerous road in South East England" in 2008.-Description:...
as far as Roedean, and surrounding areas of downland
South Downs
The South Downs is a range of chalk hills that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen Valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, near Eastbourne, East Sussex, in the east. It is bounded on its northern side by a steep escarpment, from whose...
.
Services are held in the church on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays for the parish, and on Wednesdays for pupils at St Margaret's Church of England Primary School. Sermons are available to download as podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
s.