St Peter's Church, West Blatchington
Encyclopedia
St Peter's Church is an Anglican
church in the West Blatchington
area of Hove
, part of the English
city of Brighton and Hove. Although it has 11th- and 12th-century origins, the church was rebuilt from a ruined state in the late 19th century and extended substantially in the 1960s, and little trace remains of the ancient building. The church serves the parish of West Blatchington, a residential area in the north of Hove near the border with Brighton
.
, West Blatchington started as an isolated village on the South Downs
north of Hove, and had declined to such an extent by the 19th century that only the manor house
, the church and some farm buildings and cottages were left. West Blatchington Windmill
, near the church, had been built in 1820.
The parish church, St Peter's, was thought to have been built in the 12th century by the Normans
. Archaeological work carried out in the 1980s, however, revealed 11th-century, Saxon
origins. In particular, the flint
walls which survive as part of the present building contain numerous pieces of Roman-era
debris, such as fragments of broken tiles and stones from furnaces. These would have been gathered from the nearby Roman villa
in the 11th century when the church was being built: Saxon reuse and recycling of Roman-era building materials and detritus was not unusual. (The Roman settlement, on a site occupied since the Bronze Age
and also containing a few Neolithic
artefacts, included ditches, rubbish pits, a cemetery, and kiln
s for drying corn.) Furthermore, the wall of the main doorway is much thinner than would be expected in a Norman church, and more closely resembles a Saxon wall; and two blocked-up windows high in the south wall are in the Saxon style—although there are also Norman windows elsewhere. It has also been determined that the original church was remodelled early in its life to include a chancel
, to which the altar would have been moved. Saxon churches typically had altars in the centre of their rectangular structure; the Norman-era preference was for an altar at one end in a separate chancel.
The church was put under the control of Lewes Priory
in the early 12th century by Ralph de Luffa
, the Bishop of Chichester
. In the 16th century, the Priory was destroyed after being surrendered to King Henry VIII
, and St Peter's Church was united with St Helen's Church, Hangleton
in a single parish. Decline had already set in: the church was disused by 1596, and the parish only had one other inhabited dwelling. The Church Commissioners
declared the structure ruined in the 17th century, and only the four walls were left by the early 19th century. For many years during that century, the structure was used as a henhouse
by nearby farmers.
The Scrase family and their descendants had lived in West Blatchington manor for more than four centuries, and were held responsible by some for the failure to restore the church earlier than it eventually was. Vicar of Brighton Rev. Henry Wagner proposed a new church, school and graveyard in the village in 1855; these would have been built at his own expense. Two acres of farmland were needed; these were owned by the main local landowner the Marquess of Abergavenny
but farmed by his tenants, the Hobson family (descendants of the Scrases). The Marquess agreed but his tenants refused to give the land up, so the plan was put on hold. However, when one of the Hobsons died in 1888, she left money in her will to restore the old church. Somers Clarke
, a Brighton native who was responsible for several church restorations and alterations
in the area in the late 19th century, was chosen for the work. St Peter's was reopened for worship on 29 June 1891.
Hove expanded significantly in the first half of the 20th century, and the ancient village of West Blatchington was entirely surrounded by suburban residential development, encouraged by its inclusion in the newly created Borough of Hove in 1928. The rebuilt church was too small for the local population, and more changes were planned. On 8 May 1960 the foundation stone
of a large extension on the north side was laid by the Bishop of Chichester
, Roger Plumpton Wilson. As at St Leonard's Church, Aldrington
, another church in Hove, the extension was essentially a new church built around the existing structure. John Leopold Denman
was employed as the architect; he built the exterior in flint and retained the old north wall, which helped the extension to fit in well with the 11th- and 19th-century parts of the church. An unusual arrangement at roof level brings natural light into, and physically links, the old and new parts of the church: there is a group of dormer window
-style skylight
s arranged like a clerestory
. The work was completed by 1962. The entrance porch was restored in 1987.
In 1707, money had been raised to purchase the advowson
of West Blatchington, separate the church from the parish of Hangleton and unite it with Brighton instead. Until 1744, the benefice were held jointly by the Vicar of Brighton; on 1 August 1744 they were formally united. The church was separated from Brighton and given its own parish again in 1940.
The church is in three distinct parts—Saxon/Norman, late 19th century and mid-20th century—which nevertheless blend together well. As originally built, the church was approximately 35 feet (11 m) long and 16 feet (5 m) wide, rectangular, built of flint rubble with stones and tile fragments recovered from the Roman site, and featuring an altar
in the centre. A chancel
was then added during the early Norman era, as were two narrow windows in the west wall of the nave
which have been preserved in the present structure. The south and west walls are mostly original. The 19th-century rebuilding kept as much of the nave and chancel intact as possible, and added a short weatherborded
bell-tower topped with a spire at the west end; a porch on the south side with a gabled roof; three Decorated-style lancet window
s; and a barrel vault
roof. The bell in the bell-tower was cast in London in 1844.
The changes of 1960–1962 added a larger nave and chancel on the north side. The old and new naves are connected by an arcade with five bays
, with the clerestory arrangement above. The new nave has six bays and a gallery with an organ
. The interior is mostly rendered
. Knapped flintwork and brick and stone dressings were used on the exterior. The interior fittings are fairly austere, and no internal fixtures remain from the ancient church; a 16th-century brass memorial tablet commemorating the Scrase family was taken to St Nicolas Church, Portslade
and installed in the south aisle there.
The parish, which was established in 1940, covers a large area north of Hove immediately west of the Brighton boundary, although much of it is uninhabited downland
. The boundaries are Goldstone Crescent, The Droveway, Nevill Road, the land behind Nevill Avenue, Hangleton Road and Amberley Drive; the South Downs as far as Waterhall Golf Course; Mill Road and Woodland Avenue.
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church in the West Blatchington
West Blatchington
West Blatchington is an area in Hove, East Sussex, England.The area grew rapidly in the inter-war period, but unlike nearby Hangleton it had more infrastructure, with St Peter's Church, a working farm, a windmill and an industrial area grouped around the Goldstone Pumping Station and its workers'...
area of 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...
, part 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 it has 11th- and 12th-century origins, the church was rebuilt from a ruined state in the late 19th century and extended substantially in the 1960s, and little trace remains of the ancient building. The church serves the parish of West Blatchington, a residential area in the north of Hove near the border with Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
.
History
Like nearby HangletonHangleton
Hangleton is an estate in west Hove, East Sussex. The estate was developed circa the late 1930s after the Dyke railway was closed.It contains both the oldest building in the city of Brighton and Hove, St Helen's Church, and the second oldest building: that which was Hangleton Manor and is now the...
, West Blatchington started as an isolated village on the South Downs
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...
north of Hove, and had declined to such an extent by the 19th century that only the manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
, the church and some farm buildings and cottages were left. West Blatchington Windmill
West Blatchington Windmill
West Blatchington Windmill is a Grade II* listed smock mill at West Blatchington, Brighton and Hove, in the historic county of Sussex, England which has been restored and is open to the public.-History:...
, near the church, had been built in 1820.
The parish church, St Peter's, was thought to have been built in the 12th century by the Normans
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
. Archaeological work carried out in the 1980s, however, revealed 11th-century, Saxon
Anglo-Saxon architecture
Anglo-Saxon architecture was a period in the history of architecture in England, and parts of Wales, from the mid-5th century until the Norman Conquest of 1066. Anglo-Saxon secular buildings in Britain were generally simple, constructed mainly using timber with thatch for roofing...
origins. In particular, the flint
Flint
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...
walls which survive as part of the present building contain numerous pieces of Roman-era
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
debris, such as fragments of broken tiles and stones from furnaces. These would have been gathered from the nearby Roman villa
Roman villa
A Roman villa is a villa that was built or lived in during the Roman republic and the Roman Empire. A villa was originally a Roman country house built for the upper class...
in the 11th century when the church was being built: Saxon reuse and recycling of Roman-era building materials and detritus was not unusual. (The Roman settlement, on a site occupied since the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
and also containing a few Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
artefacts, included ditches, rubbish pits, a cemetery, and kiln
Kiln
A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, or oven, in which a controlled temperature regime is produced. Uses include the hardening, burning or drying of materials...
s for drying corn.) Furthermore, the wall of the main doorway is much thinner than would be expected in a Norman church, and more closely resembles a Saxon wall; and two blocked-up windows high in the south wall are in the Saxon style—although there are also Norman windows elsewhere. It has also been determined that the original church was remodelled early in its life to include 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...
, to which the altar would have been moved. Saxon churches typically had altars in the centre of their rectangular structure; the Norman-era preference was for an altar at one end in a separate chancel.
Lewes Priory
The Priory of St Pancras was the first Cluniac house in England and had one of the largest monastic churches in the country. It was set within an extensive walled and gated precinct laid out in a commanding location fronting the tidal shore-line at the head of the Ouse valley to the south of Lewes...
in the early 12th century by Ralph de Luffa
Ralph de Luffa
Ralph de Luffa was an English bishop of Chichester, from 1091 to 1123. He built extensively on his cathedral as well as being praised by contemporary writers as an exemplary bishop. He took little part in the Investiture Crisis which took place in England during his episcopate...
, 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...
. In the 16th century, the Priory was destroyed after being surrendered to King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, and St Peter's Church was united with St Helen's Church, Hangleton
St Helen's Church, Hangleton
St Helen's Church, an Anglican church in the Hangleton area of Hove, is the oldest surviving building in the English city of Brighton and Hove. It is the ancient parish church of Hangleton—an isolated downland village which was abandoned by the Middle Ages and consisted of open farmland until the...
in a single parish. Decline had already set in: the church was disused by 1596, and the parish only had one other inhabited dwelling. The Church Commissioners
Church Commissioners
The Church Commissioners is a body managing the historic property assets of the Church of England. It was set up in 1948 combining the assets of Queen Anne's Bounty, a fund dating from 1704 for the relief of poor clergy, and of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners formed in 1836...
declared the structure ruined in the 17th century, and only the four walls were left by the early 19th century. For many years during that century, the structure was used as a henhouse
Chicken coop
A chicken coop is a building where female chickens are kept. Inside there are often nest boxes for egg laying and perches on which the birds can sleep, although coops for meat birds seldom have either of these features....
by nearby farmers.
The Scrase family and their descendants had lived in West Blatchington manor for more than four centuries, and were held responsible by some for the failure to restore the church earlier than it eventually was. Vicar of Brighton Rev. Henry Wagner proposed a new church, school and graveyard in the village in 1855; these would have been built at his own expense. Two acres of farmland were needed; these were owned by the main local landowner the 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....
but farmed by his tenants, the Hobson family (descendants of the Scrases). The Marquess agreed but his tenants refused to give the land up, so the plan was put on hold. However, when one of the Hobsons died in 1888, she left money in her will to restore the old church. Somers Clarke
Somers Clarke
George Somers Clarke was an architect and English Egyptologist who worked at a number of sites throughout Egypt, notably in El Kab, where he built a house. He was born in Brighton and died in Egypt....
, a Brighton native who was responsible for several church restorations and alterations
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 the area in the late 19th century, was chosen for the work. St Peter's was reopened for worship on 29 June 1891.
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
of a large extension on the north side was laid 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...
, Roger Plumpton Wilson. As at St Leonard's Church, Aldrington
St Leonard's Church, Aldrington
St Leonard's Church is an Anglican church in Hove, in the English city of Brighton and Hove. It is on New Church Road in the Aldrington area of Hove, which was previously a separate village, and it serves as Aldrington's parish church...
, another church in Hove, the extension was essentially a new church built around the existing structure. John Leopold Denman
John Leopold Denman
John Leopold Denman was an architect from the English seaside resort of Brighton, now part of the city of Brighton and Hove. He had a prolific career in the area during the 20th century, both on his own and as part of the Denman & Son firm in partnership with his son John Bluet Denman. ...
was employed as the architect; he built the exterior in flint and retained the old north wall, which helped the extension to fit in well with the 11th- and 19th-century parts of the church. An unusual arrangement at roof level brings natural light into, and physically links, the old and new parts of the church: there is a group of dormer window
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...
-style skylight
Daylighting
Daylighting is the practice of placing windows or other openings and reflective surfaces so that during the day natural light provides effective internal lighting. Particular attention is given to daylighting while designing a building when the aim is to maximize visual comfort or to reduce energy...
s arranged like a 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...
. The work was completed by 1962. The entrance porch was restored in 1987.
In 1707, money had been raised to purchase the advowson
Advowson
Advowson is the right in English law of a patron to present or appoint a nominee to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a process known as presentation. In effect this means the right to nominate a person to hold a church office in a parish...
of West Blatchington, separate the church from the parish of Hangleton and unite it with Brighton instead. Until 1744, the benefice were held jointly by the Vicar of Brighton; on 1 August 1744 they were formally united. The church was separated from Brighton and given its own parish again in 1940.
Architecture
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...
in the centre. 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...
was then added during the early Norman era, as were two narrow windows in the west wall of 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...
which have been preserved in the present structure. The south and west walls are mostly original. The 19th-century rebuilding kept as much of the nave and chancel intact as possible, and added a short weatherborded
Weatherboarding
Weatherboarding is the cladding or ‘siding’ of a house consisting of long thin timber boards that overlap one another, either vertically or horizontally on the outside of the wall. They are usually of rectangular section with parallel sides...
bell-tower topped with a spire at the west end; a porch on the south side with a gabled roof; three Decorated-style 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; and a barrel vault
Barrel vault
A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design...
roof. The bell in the bell-tower was cast in London in 1844.
The changes of 1960–1962 added a larger nave and chancel on the north side. The old and new naves are connected by an arcade with five 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:...
, with the clerestory arrangement above. The new nave has six bays and a gallery with an 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...
. The interior is mostly rendered
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
. Knapped flintwork and brick and stone dressings were used on the exterior. The interior fittings are fairly austere, and no internal fixtures remain from the ancient church; a 16th-century brass memorial tablet commemorating the Scrase family was taken to St Nicolas Church, Portslade
St Nicolas Church, Portslade
St Nicolas Church is an Anglican church in the Portslade area of the English city of Brighton and Hove. It has 12th-century origins, and serves the old village of Portslade, inland from the mostly 19th-century Portslade-by-Sea area.-History:...
and installed in the south aisle there.
The church today
St Peter's was listed at Grade II* on 24 March 1950. 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. Worship is in the Modern Catholic tradition of the Church of England. There are services on Sundays, a family service on Tuesday evenings, and other services on Monday and Thursday mornings.The parish, which was established in 1940, covers a large area north of Hove immediately west of the Brighton boundary, although much of it is uninhabited downland
Downland
A downland is an area of open chalk hills. This term is especially used to describe the chalk countryside in southern England. Areas of downland are often referred to as Downs....
. The boundaries are Goldstone Crescent, The Droveway, Nevill Road, the land behind Nevill Avenue, Hangleton Road and Amberley Drive; the South Downs as far as Waterhall Golf Course; Mill Road and Woodland Avenue.