St Michael's Church, Brighton
Encyclopedia
St. Michael's Church is an Anglican church in Brighton
, England
, dating from the mid-Victorian era
. Located on Victoria Road in the Montpelier
area, to the east of Montpelier Road, it is one of the largest churches in the city of Brighton and Hove. The church is a Grade I listed building.
district and the seafront. St Stephen's Church
had served parts of the district since 1851, when it had been moved to Montpelier Place from its previous location in Castle Square, close to the Royal Pavilion
. However, it was not convenient for the area as a whole, with most of its parishioners being drawn instead from the streets to the south of the church.
Development of the Montpelier and Clifton Hill areas started in the 1820s, and by the 1840s they had essentially taken the form they remain in today, with a range of high-quality houses, many in the form of Regency terraces and crescents such as Clifton Terrace. However, one area of open land remained: at the time (the 1850s) it was known as Temple Fields, and consisted of a field, a pond and a partly built house. This was chosen as the site for a new church to serve the area. On present-day maps, Temple Fields is the area bounded by Denmark Terrace, Clifton Hill, Powis Road and Victoria Road. The church faces three streets: St. Michael's Place, Powis Road and Victoria Road (on which the main entrance is located).
Plans for the church were drawn up in 1858, and construction took place between 1860 and 1861 to a design by George Frederick Bodley
(whose father had been a doctor in Brighton and a resident of the Furze Hill area of Hove, close to the Montpelier and Clifton Hill districts). Bodley was also working on St Paul's Church
in West Street, Brighton at the time, on an interior alterations project.
The design of the exterior was reminiscent of the Italianate style
, in red brick with horizontal bands of white stone and a steeply pitched slate roof. This featured a modest flèche
spire containing a bell recovered from Sevastopol
during the Crimean War
(1854–1856).
The church took two years to build at a cost of £6,728, and was consecrated by the Bishop of Chichester
on 29 September 1862. There was room for a congregation of 700; pew rent was charged on 300 of these seats at first. Rev. Charles Beanlands, who had been a curate
at St Paul's Church
since his ordination in 1849, was given the perpetual curacy of St Michael's Church, and he remained in this position until his death in 1898.
designed a new church which would incorporate Bodley's building as its two south aisles. The rebuilding was not carried out until 1893, under the direction of Burges's pupil, J.S.Chapple, and took two years. Burges was a contemporary of Bodley; both men were born in 1827. It is not known why a different architect was chosen for the redesign, and the changes reportedly caused Bodley some upset. Burges did not live to see his designs realised: he died in 1881.
The exterior decoration of the new building broadly matched that of the original church, consisting of bands of white stone contrasting with dark red brick, but there is a considerable difference in height. The original building's north aisle was demolished, and its remaining structure became the south aisle of the new church. In terms of the church's present arrangement, therefore, the main body and the adjacent north aisle date from 1893, while the south aisle is original.
The designs, as originally submitted, showed that a cloister
and a campanile
were planned to be built as well. Inside, additional decoration was to have been made in the chancel, and various additions were proposed for the sanctuary area. A predella
(altar platform) behind the altar
, a set of sedilia
within the sanctuary area and a baldacchino
above the altar were all shown in the plans. However, none of these proposals were implemented, and no changes took place in this area until around 1900, when architect and interior designer W. H. Romaine-Walker
(1854–1940) provided a marble wall with Cosmatesque-style decoration
between the chancel and the nave, a screen for the chancel itself, a new marble altar (in his wife's memory) and extra marble ornamentation for the sanctuary. A rood screen
and new reredos were also installed at this time.
A parish hall was built in 1970 on the site, to the north of the church, where the cloister was originally proposed.
Burges's enlargement substantially altered the character of the building, abandoning Bodley's polychrome
brickwork interior for proper stone dressings, but he retained the polychrome style for the somewhat brutal exterior.
The interior featured a series of clerestory
windows facing south, a stone arch in the chancel
and a row of stone columns with foliated decoration (carved with leaf ornamentations). The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
, a group of people active in various areas of the arts who were influenced by the Quattrocento
period of Italian art, were closely involved with the decoration of the interior. Bodley was informally associated with this recently formed group, in particular with Edward Burne-Jones
and William Morris
, a long-term friend of his. William Morris himself, along with Philip Webb
and Charles Faulkner
, was responsible for the painting of the chancel roof. The large windows on the western face of the church were made and installed by Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co., the predecessor of Morris's firm Morris & Co.
There are also many stained glass
windows by Morris in the old building and Burne-Jones in the new. The east end of Burges' building features a large trio of stepped lancets with basic two-light tracery
.
Internal fixtures include a grey marble font
and a green serpentine and calcite (verde antique) pulpit
, both designed and made by Bodley. The noted stained glass designer Charles Eamer Kempe
was responsible for the restoration and installation of a 15th century reredos
of Flemish origin. This depicts three scenes from Christ's life in the form of a triptych
.
The area covered by St Michael's—a portion of the western end of St Nicholas'
parish—was made a parish in its own right in the early 20th century. St Michael's had previously been a mere chapel of ease
. Following the closure and deconsecration
of St Stephens Church
in Montpelier Place and another local church, All Saints Church in Compton Avenue, Seven Dials
, their parishes were absorbed into that of St Michael's; it now covers an area bounded (approximately) by Brighton railway station
, Montefiore Road, Upper North Street and the streets between the church and Dyke Road.
Services have always been in the ritualist tradition, reflecting Anglo-Catholic
and "High Church
" views and doctrine. This caused some controversy in the church's early years, although to a lesser extent than was experienced at St. Bartholomew's and St. Paul's Churches.
Services consist of a daily Mass at various times, and a Sunday morning Sung Mass at 10.30am. A priest is available for Confession
after Saturday Masses. In the parish hall, there are Saturday breakfast meetings, a parent and toddler group, dance groups, choir practices and various other activities.
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, England
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...
, dating from the mid-Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
. Located on Victoria Road in the Montpelier
Montpelier, Brighton
Montpelier is an inner suburban area of Brighton, part of the English city and seaside resort of Brighton and Hove. Developed together with the adjacent Clifton Hill area in the mid-19th century, it forms a high-class, architecturally cohesive residential district with "an exceptionally complete...
area, to the east of Montpelier Road, it is one of the largest churches in the city of Brighton and Hove. The church is a Grade I listed building.
Origins and the local area
The church serves the loosely defined Montpelier and Clifton Hill areas of Brighton, which lie west of the major Dyke Road and cover the steep slopes between the Seven DialsSeven Dials, Brighton
Seven Dials is an area surrounding a major road junction of the same name in Brighton, in the city of Brighton and Hove. It is located on high ground just northwest of Brighton railway station, and approximately ¾ mile north of the seafront....
district and the seafront. St Stephen's Church
St Stephen's Church, Brighton
St Stephen's Church is a former Anglican church in the Montpelier area of Brighton, part of the English city of Brighton and Hove. The building, which dates from 1766 in its original incarnation as the ballroom of Brighton's most fashionable Georgian-era inn, has been used for many purposes since...
had served parts of the district since 1851, when it had been moved to Montpelier Place from its previous location in Castle Square, close to the Royal Pavilion
Royal Pavilion
The Royal Pavilion is a former royal residence located in Brighton, England. It was built in three campaigns, beginning in 1787, as a seaside retreat for George, Prince of Wales, from 1811 Prince Regent. It is often referred to as the Brighton Pavilion...
. However, it was not convenient for the area as a whole, with most of its parishioners being drawn instead from the streets to the south of the church.
Development of the Montpelier and Clifton Hill areas started in the 1820s, and by the 1840s they had essentially taken the form they remain in today, with a range of high-quality houses, many in the form of Regency terraces and crescents such as Clifton Terrace. However, one area of open land remained: at the time (the 1850s) it was known as Temple Fields, and consisted of a field, a pond and a partly built house. This was chosen as the site for a new church to serve the area. On present-day maps, Temple Fields is the area bounded by Denmark Terrace, Clifton Hill, Powis Road and Victoria Road. The church faces three streets: St. Michael's Place, Powis Road and Victoria Road (on which the main entrance is located).
Original church
George Frederick Bodley
George Frederick Bodley was an English architect working in the Gothic revival style.-Personal life:Bodley was the youngest son of William Hulme Bodley, M.D. of Edinburgh, physician at Hull Royal Infirmary, Kingston upon Hull, who in 1838 retired to his wife's home town, Brighton, Sussex, England....
(whose father had been a doctor in Brighton and a resident of the Furze Hill area of Hove, close to the Montpelier and Clifton Hill districts). Bodley was also working on St Paul's Church
St Paul's Church, Brighton
St Paul's Church, dedicated to the missionary and Apostle to the Gentiles Paul of Tarsus, is a Church of England parish church in Brighton in the English county of Sussex. It is located on West Street in the city centre, close to the seafront and the main shopping areas.-History and...
in West Street, Brighton at the time, on an interior alterations project.
The design of the exterior was reminiscent of the Italianate style
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
, in red brick with horizontal bands of white stone and a steeply pitched slate roof. This featured a modest 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...
spire containing a bell recovered from Sevastopol
Sevastopol
Sevastopol is a city on rights of administrative division of Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 . Sevastopol is the second largest port in Ukraine, after the Port of Odessa....
during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
(1854–1856).
The church took two years to build at a cost of £6,728, and was consecrated by 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...
on 29 September 1862. There was room for a congregation of 700; pew rent was charged on 300 of these seats at first. Rev. Charles Beanlands, who had been a curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at St Paul's Church
St Paul's Church, Brighton
St Paul's Church, dedicated to the missionary and Apostle to the Gentiles Paul of Tarsus, is a Church of England parish church in Brighton in the English county of Sussex. It is located on West Street in the city centre, close to the seafront and the main shopping areas.-History and...
since his ordination in 1849, was given the perpetual curacy of St Michael's Church, and he remained in this position until his death in 1898.
Extension
The building quickly became too small and, in 1865, William BurgesWilliam Burges (architect)
William Burges was an English architect and designer. Amongst the greatest of the Victorian art-architects, Burges sought in his work an escape from 19th century industrialisation and a return to the values, architectural and social, of an imagined mediaeval England...
designed a new church which would incorporate Bodley's building as its two south aisles. The rebuilding was not carried out until 1893, under the direction of Burges's pupil, J.S.Chapple, and took two years. Burges was a contemporary of Bodley; both men were born in 1827. It is not known why a different architect was chosen for the redesign, and the changes reportedly caused Bodley some upset. Burges did not live to see his designs realised: he died in 1881.
The exterior decoration of the new building broadly matched that of the original church, consisting of bands of white stone contrasting with dark red brick, but there is a considerable difference in height. The original building's north aisle was demolished, and its remaining structure became the south aisle of the new church. In terms of the church's present arrangement, therefore, the main body and the adjacent north aisle date from 1893, while the south aisle is original.
The designs, as originally submitted, showed that a cloister
Cloister
A cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...
and a campanile
Campanile
Campanile is an Italian word meaning "bell tower" . The term applies to bell towers which are either part of a larger building or free-standing, although in American English, the latter meaning has become prevalent.The most famous campanile is probably the Leaning Tower of Pisa...
were planned to be built as well. Inside, additional decoration was to have been made in the chancel, and various additions were proposed for the sanctuary area. A predella
Predella
A predella is the platform or step on which an altar stands . In painting, the predella is the painting or sculpture along the frame at the bottom of an altarpiece...
(altar platform) behind the altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
, a set of sedilia
Sedilia
Sedilia , in ecclesiastical architecture, is the term used to describe stone seats, usually to be found on the south side of an altar, often in the chancel, for the use of the officiating priests...
within the sanctuary area and a baldacchino
Baldachin
A baldachin, or baldaquin , is a canopy of state over an altar or throne. It had its beginnings as a cloth canopy, but in other cases it is a sturdy, permanent architectural feature, particularly over high altars in cathedrals, where such a structure is more correctly called a ciborium when it is...
above the altar were all shown in the plans. However, none of these proposals were implemented, and no changes took place in this area until around 1900, when architect and interior designer W. H. Romaine-Walker
W. H. Romaine-Walker
William Henry Romaine-Walker was an English architect and interior decorator. From 1881 to 1896 he worked in partnership with Augustus William Tanner.-Works:These include:*Canford School, Canford Magna, Dorset, extended ....
(1854–1940) provided a marble wall with Cosmatesque-style decoration
Cosmatesque
Cosmatesque, or Cosmati, is a style of geometric decorative inlay stonework typical of Medieval Italy, and especially of Rome and its surroundings. It was used most extensively for the decoration of church floors, but was also used to decorate church walls, pulpits, and bishop's thrones...
between the chancel and the nave, a screen for the chancel itself, a new marble altar (in his wife's memory) and extra marble ornamentation for the sanctuary. A rood screen
Rood screen
The rood screen is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, or wrought iron...
and new reredos were also installed at this time.
A parish hall was built in 1970 on the site, to the north of the church, where the cloister was originally proposed.
Architecture and fixtures
Polychrome
Polychrome is one of the terms used to describe the use of multiple colors in one entity. It has also been defined as "The practice of decorating architectural elements, sculpture, etc., in a variety of colors." Polychromatic light is composed of a number of different wavelengths...
brickwork interior for proper stone dressings, but he retained the polychrome style for the somewhat brutal exterior.
The interior featured a series of clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
windows facing south, a stone arch in the 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...
and a row of stone columns with foliated decoration (carved with leaf ornamentations). The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
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...
, a group of people active in various areas of the arts who were influenced by the Quattrocento
Quattrocento
The cultural and artistic events of 15th century Italy are collectively referred to as the Quattrocento...
period of Italian art, were closely involved with the decoration of the interior. Bodley was informally associated with this recently formed group, in particular with 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...
and William Morris
William Morris
William Morris 24 March 18343 October 1896 was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement...
, a long-term friend of his. William Morris himself, along with Philip Webb
Philip Webb
Another Philip Webb — Philip Edward Webb was the architect son of leading architect Sir Aston Webb. Along with his brother, Maurice, he assisted his father towards the end of his career....
and Charles Faulkner
Charles Joseph Faulkner
Charles Joseph Faulkner was a mathematician and fellow of University College, Oxford and a founding partner of Morris, Marshall, Faulkner and Co....
, was responsible for the painting of the chancel roof. The large windows on the western face of the church were made and installed by Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co., the predecessor of Morris's firm Morris & Co.
Morris & Co.
Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. and its successor Morris & Co. were furnishings and decorative arts manufacturers and retailers founded by the Pre-Raphaelite artist and designer William Morris...
There are also many 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 by Morris in the old building and Burne-Jones in the new. The east end of Burges' building features a large trio of stepped lancets with basic two-light tracery
Tracery
In architecture, Tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out.-Plate tracery:...
.
Internal fixtures include a grey marble 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:...
and a green serpentine and calcite (verde antique) pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
, both designed and made by Bodley. The noted stained glass designer Charles Eamer Kempe
Charles Eamer Kempe
Charles Eamer Kempe was a well-known Victorian stained glass designer. After attending Twyford School, he studied for the priesthood at Pembroke College, Oxford, but it became clear that his severe stammer would be an impediment to preaching...
was responsible for the restoration and installation of a 15th century 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....
of Flemish origin. This depicts three scenes from Christ's life in the form of a triptych
Triptych
A triptych , from tri-= "three" + ptysso= "to fold") is a work of art which is divided into three sections, or three carved panels which are hinged together and can be folded shut or displayed open. It is therefore a type of polyptych, the term for all multi-panel works...
.
The church today
St Nicholas' Church, Brighton
The Church of Saint Nicholas of Myra, usually known as St. Nicholas Church, is an Anglican church in Brighton, England. It is both the original parish church of Brighton and the oldest surviving building in Brighton. It is located on high ground at the junction of Church Street and Dyke Road in...
parish—was made a parish in its own right in the early 20th century. St Michael's had previously been a mere chapel of ease
Chapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
. Following the closure and deconsecration
Deconsecration
Deconsecration is the act of removing a religious blessing from something that had been previously consecrated by a minister or priest of that religion. The same act when performed by a member of a differing religion may be considered a curse by some religions and not a complete removal of the...
of St Stephens Church
St Stephen's Church, Brighton
St Stephen's Church is a former Anglican church in the Montpelier area of Brighton, part of the English city of Brighton and Hove. The building, which dates from 1766 in its original incarnation as the ballroom of Brighton's most fashionable Georgian-era inn, has been used for many purposes since...
in Montpelier Place and another local church, All Saints Church in Compton Avenue, Seven Dials
Seven Dials, Brighton
Seven Dials is an area surrounding a major road junction of the same name in Brighton, in the city of Brighton and Hove. It is located on high ground just northwest of Brighton railway station, and approximately ¾ mile north of the seafront....
, their parishes were absorbed into that of St Michael's; it now covers an area bounded (approximately) by Brighton railway station
Brighton railway station
Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...
, Montefiore Road, Upper North Street and the streets between the church and Dyke Road.
Services have always been in the ritualist tradition, reflecting Anglo-Catholic
Anglo-Catholicism
The terms Anglo-Catholic and Anglo-Catholicism describe people, beliefs and practices within Anglicanism that affirm the Catholic, rather than Protestant, heritage and identity of the Anglican churches....
and "High Church
High church
The term "High Church" refers to beliefs and practices of ecclesiology, liturgy and theology, generally with an emphasis on formality, and resistance to "modernization." Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term has traditionally been principally associated with the...
" views and doctrine. This caused some controversy in the church's early years, although to a lesser extent than was experienced at St. Bartholomew's and St. Paul's Churches.
Services consist of a daily Mass at various times, and a Sunday morning Sung Mass at 10.30am. A priest is available for Confession
Confession
This article is for the religious practice of confessing one's sins.Confession is the acknowledgment of sin or wrongs...
after Saturday Masses. In the parish hall, there are Saturday breakfast meetings, a parent and toddler group, dance groups, choir practices and various other activities.
See also
- List of places of worship in Brighton and Hove
- List of Grade I listed buildings in Brighton and Hove