St Andrew's Church, Church Road, Hove facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Andrew (Old Church), Hove |
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The church from the northeast
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| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Andrew |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Hove, St Andrew (Old Church) |
| Deanery | Hove |
| Archdeaconry | Brighton and Lewes |
| Diocese | Chichester |
| Province | Canterbury |
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St Andrew's Church is an old and important Anglican church in Church Road, Hove, a city in England. People often call it St Andrew (Old Church) to tell it apart from another St Andrew's Church nearby. For hundreds of years, it was the main church for Hove. But for a while, it was almost falling apart until Hove started to grow in the 1800s.
Contents
A Look Back: The Church's Story
Hove grew up on its own, separate from its neighbour, Brighton. It started as a long village along one street, now called Hove Street. The church was built a long time ago, possibly around the 1100s. It was in a quiet spot in the fields, away from the village.
Early Days and Challenges
The first church building was replaced with a simpler Norman-style church. It had a main area (nave) and a tower. By the 1200s, a chancel (the part where the altar is) was added. This church was the main one for Hove until 1531. At that time, Hove joined with another area called Preston.
The number of people living in Hove went down, and the church became hard to look after. By the 1700s, parts of the church were falling apart. The roof was damaged, and the tower even fell down in 1801.
Hove Grows and the Church Returns
Things changed for the church when new homes were built in Hove in the early 1800s. Brighton was growing, and new houses started to appear in Hove. This made Hove's population jump from 100 people in 1801 to 2,500 by 1841! By 1871, it reached 11,000 people.
Around this time, a company built a gasworks near the church in 1832. This was a factory that made gas from coal, and it could be quite smelly and noisy. It had tall chimneys and large gas storage tanks. Over time, the gasworks grew bigger. But by 1885, all gas making moved to a different place, and the Hove site was only used for storage.
With so many more people, church leaders knew the old St Andrew's needed to be fixed up. In 1833, they decided to restore the church instead of building a new one somewhere else.
Rebuilding the Church
A famous architect named George Basevi was asked to figure out how much it would cost to rebuild. The work started in 1834. A building company from London did the construction based on Basevi's plans. The church was reopened on July 18, 1836. It could now hold 430 people. A few years later, in 1839, a new section was added to hold 200 more people.
In 1878, the area around the church was split into two separate parishes again. St Andrew's became the main church for Hove once more. However, the new vicar wanted to build an even bigger church. This new church, All Saints Church, was finished in 1892. St Andrew's then became a smaller church linked to All Saints until 1957, when it got its own parish again.
Over the years, the churchyard (the land around the church) became smaller. In 1880, Church Road was made wider, taking away some of the land. Later, in 1972, a school was built, which also took some land from the churchyard.
Church Style and Features
St Andrew's Church was rebuilt in 1834. It has a special style called "Neo-Norman." This means it looks like the old Norman architecture from the 1000s and 1100s. Even though the outside was rebuilt, some original Norman parts were kept inside. You can still see round columns and old arches from the Middle Ages.
Inside, the old wooden seats and the pulpit (where the minister speaks) were replaced in 1879. A new font (a basin for baptisms) was put in in 1865. In 1953, a lychgate (a covered gate at the entrance to a churchyard) was added on the south side.
Famous People Buried Here
Many important people are buried at St Andrew's Church, or have special plaques inside.
- The artist Copley Fielding, who painted beautiful watercolours, is buried here.
- The Vallance family, who were important landowners in Hove for 150 years, have their family tomb outside the church. Two streets in Hove are named after them.
- The family of George Basevi, the architect who rebuilt the church, also have a tomb inside.
- Charles Busby, an architect who designed many churches in Brighton and Hove, was buried in the churchyard. His tomb was moved when the road was widened.
- Rev. Walter Kelly, a former vicar, is buried here and has a memorial stone.
- The Elliott family, who were also important church leaders, are buried in the churchyard. This includes Charlotte Elliott, who wrote many hymns.
- One of the most famous people buried here is Sir George Everest. He was a geographer who helped measure the height of the world's highest mountain, which was then named after him! He died in London in 1866 and is buried with his family. It's interesting because he didn't live in Hove or Brighton.
- George Augustus Westphal was the last naval officer who served on The Victory during the famous Battle of Trafalgar. He is buried in the churchyard and has a plaque inside. Another Trafalgar hero, Rear-Admiral Sir John Hindmarsh, the first Governor of South Australia, is also buried here.
- There are also special memorials for soldiers who died in World War I and World War II.
St Andrew's Church Today
St Andrew's Church is a "Grade II* listed building." This means it's a very important historic building that needs to be protected. In 2001, it was one of 70 such buildings in Brighton and Hove.
Today, the church holds services every day. There are also special activities for children and young people, including a Sunday school.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Brighton and Hove
- List of places of worship in Brighton and Hove
