Church of the Annunciation, Brighton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of the Annunciation, Brighton |
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| 50°49′45.71″N 0°7′46.54″W / 50.8293639°N 0.1295944°W | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Modern Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Dedication | The Annunciation |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Parish church |
| Heritage designation | Grade II listed |
| Designated | 20 September 1996 |
| Architect(s) | William Dancy |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Completed | 15 August 1864 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | The Annunciation Brighton |
| Deanery | Brighton |
| Archdeaconry | Brighton and Lewes |
| Diocese | Diocese of Chichester |
| Province | Province of Canterbury |
The Church of the Annunciation is an Anglican church in Brighton, a city on the south coast of England. It was built in the 1860s to serve a new area of homes for working families, in what is now called the Hanover district. This church is a very old and important building, officially recognized as a Grade II listed building. This means it's protected because of its special history and architecture.
Contents
A Church for the Community
Arthur Wagner became a priest in 1850. For many years, he had a big role in deciding where and how new churches would be built in Brighton, which was growing very fast. He wanted to help people in poorer areas.
In 1862, he paid for a church called St Mary Magdalene's. Then, in 1864, he decided to build another one in a new area being developed between the Old Steine and Queen's Park. The spot chosen on Washington Street was quite small. Even so, a local architect named William Dancy designed a church similar to St Mary Magdalene's, but made it fit the smaller space.
The Church of the Annunciation opened on August 15, 1864. At first, priests from St Paul's Church looked after it. Later, it got its own area to serve, called a parish, which covers most of the Hanover area today.
Expanding the Church
The church became very popular, so it needed to be made bigger by 1881. There wasn't much room to expand, but a Brighton architect named Edmund Scott found a way. He added a new north aisle, which is a side section of the church, similar to the original south aisle. He used wooden columns to support it, just like the first architect had done.
The rebuilt church cost £5,000, which was a lot of money back then. Arthur Wagner paid for it all himself. The bigger church was officially opened in 1884.
Arthur Wagner's churches followed a special tradition within the Anglican church called Anglo-Catholicism. This meant they had more elaborate decorations and ceremonies, similar to older Catholic churches. Sometimes, this caused disagreements with other church leaders who preferred simpler styles. In 1902, a court even ruled that some of the church's decorations, like certain statues and candle holders, had to be removed. However, in the years between World War I and World War II, new decorations were added, including two reredos (decorated screens behind the altar).
The Church of the Annunciation was officially named a Grade II listed building on September 20, 1996. This protects its unique features for the future.
Church Design and Art
The main front (eastern) side of the church has two pointed roof sections called gables. These are decorated with flint stones and red brick around them. The back (western) side has three sets of three tall, narrow windows, known as lancet windows. The middle set is above the main altar. The overall style of the church looks like a modern version of Early English Gothic buildings from long ago.
Stained-Glass Windows
One special feature is the Annunciation stained-glass window. It was designed by a famous artist named Edward Burne-Jones and made by a company called Morris & Co.
In 1882, the church received another beautiful stained-glass window. This window had originally been designed for St Nicholas' Church 29 years earlier by an architect named Richard Cromwell Carpenter. It was carefully placed in the center of the eastern side of the Church of the Annunciation when the church was being rebuilt by Edmund Scott.
In 1892, a tower was added to the church by Scott and another architect, F.T. Cawthorn. A vicarage, which is the house for the vicar (the priest), was built next to the church in 1898.
See also
- Grade II listed buildings in Brighton and Hove: C–D
- List of places of worship in Brighton and Hove
