Chapel Royal, Brighton Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Chapel Royal, Brighton

50°49′21″N 0°08′22″W / 50.8226°N 0.1394°W / 50.8226; -0.1394
Denomination	Church of England
Website	www.chapelroyalbrighton.org.uk
Administration
Parish	Brighton, St Peter with the Chapel Royal
Deanery	Rural Deanery of Brighton
Archdeaconry	Chichester
Diocese	Chichester
Province	Canterbury

The Chapel Royal is an old church in the middle of Brighton. It was built in the 1700s. At first, it was a "chapel of ease." This means it was a smaller church built to help the main parish church. Over time, it became one of Brighton's most important churches. It even got its own parish. The chapel was also linked to Prince Regent and the popular people of that time. It is still an active church today.

History of the Chapel Royal
Architecture of the Chapel
The Chapel Today
External Repairs and Awards
Gallery
See also

History of the Chapel Royal

How Brighton Grew and Needed a New Church

In the 1700s, Brighton was a small fishing town. It was still recovering from a big storm in 1703. Its population was only about 2,000 people. Things started to get better when a doctor named Richard Russell suggested using seawater for health. He said bathing in the sea and drinking its water could help people. This idea became very popular. Brighton quickly became a fashionable place to visit.

The town grew even more when the Prince Regent first visited in 1783. He was the son of King George III. By 1786, he had a home in Brighton. Later, he had the Royal Pavilion built there. The Prince did not go to church very often. Brighton's only main church, St Nicholas, was far from his home. It was also up a steep hill. Plus, more and more people were visiting Brighton. This made the church too crowded.

Building a New Chapel for the Community

In 1789, the new Vicar of Brighton, Revd Thomas Hudson, decided to build a new chapel. He wanted it to be closer to the Prince's home. He hoped this would encourage the Prince to attend church more often. A central chapel would also help ease the crowding at St Nicholas Church.

The Prince liked the idea. He agreed to rent a special seat, called a pew. He also helped lay the first stone for the building. This ceremony happened on November 25, 1793. The chapel was built by a man named Bodle. The design came from architect Thomas Saunders. Construction took about a year. The Prince and his wife, Caroline of Brunswick, attended the first service on August 3, 1795.

The Chapel Becomes Official

Revd Hudson first owned and ran the chapel himself. He only opened it when Brighton was busy with visitors. In 1803, it officially became a "chapel of ease" for St Nicholas Church. This happened through a special law passed by Parliament. This law allowed the Vicar of Brighton to choose a special priest, called a perpetual curate, for the chapel. It also set up how the chapel would be paid for. Money came from renting out most of the pews. Only 224 seats had to be free. Visitors without a rented pew could pay a small fee to get in. In return, the priest had to pay for a clerk and for the bread and wine used in services. He also had to pay for the building's upkeep.

Famous Visitors and Changes Over Time

The Chapel Royal was officially blessed by the Bishop of Chichester in 1803. But by then, the Prince Regent was no longer going there often. He stopped attending after a sermon, possibly about bad behavior, upset him. Other members of the Royal Family did visit later. The last recorded visit was by Princess Augusta Sophia, the Prince Regent's sister, in 1840.

Later in the 1800s, two future British prime ministers regularly attended the chapel. William Ewart Gladstone went whenever he visited Brighton. Winston Churchill attended between 1883 and 1885. He was a student at a local school at the time.

Ownership of the chapel changed hands a few times. Revd Thomas Trocke became the priest in 1834. He stayed until 1875. During his time, the chapel got its own church district in 1873. The building was closed for eight months in 1876 and 1877 for repairs. Architect Arthur Blomfield oversaw these changes. They cost £2,700.

In 1880, some houses facing North Street were torn down. This showed the south side of the chapel for the first time. Before this, only the east side could be seen. Blomfield designed a new outside look for the chapel. This included a tower at the corner of the two streets. The work was done in two parts. The new south side was finished first. Then the east side was redone in 1896. This cost £1,200.

The Chapel's Parish and Modern Role

The chapel became a full parish church in 1896. Its ownership was then given to the Church Commissioners. However, fewer people lived in central Brighton by this time. The area was becoming more about shops and businesses. There were ideas to combine the chapel's parish with another church. But these ideas were not followed. By the mid-1900s, there were so few local people that the parish was joined with St Peter's Church.

In 2009, the Chapel Royal became a separate parish again. Services became less regular for a while. One part of the chapel was even turned into a Christian bookshop. But when another church, Holy Trinity, closed in 1984, its members started coming to the Chapel Royal. Now, services are held regularly. In 1995, the church was changed inside. It became a "city church." This means it serves the whole community of Brighton, not just people living nearby.

Architecture of the Chapel

The first chapel was a stuccoed building. It had a simple, classic style. It had round windows and a triangle-shaped roof part called a pediment. This pediment had the Prince's coat of arms. Inside, there were balconies on each wall. These were held up by decorated columns. The balcony above the altar held the organ. There was also a tall, fancy pulpit.

The changes in 1876–1877 removed the balcony above the altar. A new area called a chancel was added. This was separated from the main part of the church, the nave, by an iron screen. A new pulpit and lectern were also added.

The outside of the chapel was rebuilt in 1882–1883 and 1896. This happened because nearby buildings were torn down to make North Street wider. The stucco was replaced with red brick. The pediment was made larger. The new south side looked similar to the east side. The most important part of the new design was the tall, red-brick clock tower. It has some flint stone and a sloped slate roof. The tower has four clock faces.

The Chapel Today

The main service at the Chapel Royal is on Sundays at 10:00 am. Other services are held on Saturdays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. The chapel has a long history of music. Concerts have been held there since the beginning. They are still a regular event, usually on Tuesdays.

A coffee shop is run by church members. It helps local charities. This shop is open every Saturday. The building also hosts regular Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. This is part of the chapel's way of helping people in the city.

The Chapel Royal is a very important historical building. It was given a special Grade II* listing in 1992. This means it is a building of more than special interest.

External Repairs and Awards

In 2012, the chapel had important repairs done. This was because some brickwork was falling off. Cold winters had caused damage. The work included replacing terracotta on the south side and tower. They also fixed the brickwork and replaced steel supports. A lightning conductor was installed too. This repair project won the King of Prussia Gold Medal in 2012.