St Augustine's Church, Brighton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Augustine's Centre
The church from the west
50°50′18″N 0°08′24″W / 50.8383°N 0.1400°W / 50.8383; -0.1400
Location	Stanford Avenue, Brighton, Brighton and Hove BN1 6EA
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
History
Status	Church
Founded	1896
Dedication	Augustine of Hippo
Architecture
Functional status	Redundant
Heritage designation	Grade II listed
Designated	22 May 1995
Architect(s)	Granville Streatfield, Thomas Graham Jackson (consultant)
Style	Perpendicular Gothic
Completed	1914
Closed	January 2003
Specifications
Materials	Red brick
Administration
Parish	Preston, St John the Evangelist with Brighton, St Augustine and St Saviour
Deanery	Rural Deanery of Brighton
Archdeaconry	Chichester
Diocese	Chichester
Province	Canterbury

St Augustine's Church is an old Anglican church building in Brighton. Brighton is a city in England. The church is near Preston Park and Round Hill. These areas are in the northern part of the city.

The church was built in 1896 and made bigger in 1914. Its church area, called a parish, grew when another church nearby closed. But in 2003, St Augustine's itself was no longer needed as a church. The building is very important for its design, so it is a Grade II listed building. For a few years, starting in 2004, a different church group used it. They made changes inside to keep it warm, but they did not change the main building. Today, it is called the St Augustine's Community Arts Centre. It has a cafe, a place for art shows, offices, and other rooms.

History of St Augustine's Church

Brighton and Hove were once separate towns. Many churches were built there during the Victorian era (when Queen Victoria ruled). St Augustine's church was built a bit later than most. It was built because more and more homes were being built around Preston Village. This old village is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of central Brighton.

Building Homes in Preston Village

Large areas of land around Preston Village were owned by families like the Stanfords. In the early 1800s, the village became popular for day trips from Brighton. People enjoyed its big park and tea-rooms. But people did not start building homes there until the 1860s. This was when the Stanford family began to sell off their land.

The Stanford family set rules for the types of homes that could be built. For about 40 years, starting in the mid-1860s, many streets were built. These streets had large villas, middle-class terraced houses, and bigger detached houses. Building moved south and east from the old village towards Brighton. Stanford Avenue was one of the main roads, built in the 1880s. At first, semi-detached houses were built, then larger homes over the next 20 years. There were no Anglican churches nearby. So, an architect named Granville E. Streatfield was chosen to design a new church.

How the Church Was Built

A church hall was added on the north side in 1901.

The church was built in two main parts. The first part was finished in 1896, and the second in 1914. A separate church hall was also added. Streatfield first built the long main part of the church, called the nave. It had side sections, called aisles, and high windows, called a clerestory. The church opened in this form in 1896.

A hall was added on the north side in 1901. It was built to remember Queen Victoria. At the same time, Charles Eamer Kempe, a famous designer of stained glass windows, made some for the church. The church was finished in 1913–14. Streatfield worked with Sir Thomas Graham Jackson, who was his old teacher, as a helper. This final part added the chancel (the area near the altar), an apse (a rounded end), a large walkway around the apse, and a Lady chapel (a small chapel).

Changes and Closures

St Saviour's Church was an older church nearby. It was built in 1886 in the Round Hill area. It was made of flint, stone, and red brick. It was made bigger in 1889, but a planned tower was never built. St Saviour's closed in 1981 and was taken down in 1983. Flats were built in its place. The area that St Saviour's church served then became part of St Augustine's church area.

Later, the church leaders decided St Augustine's was no longer needed as a church. It officially closed in 2003. The church area of St Augustine's was then joined with the area of St John the Evangelist's Church.

In the early 2000s, another church group, the Elim Pentecostal church, needed a new home. Their old church was destroyed by fire. St Augustine's Church was offered to them. They used it until 2009. Now, the church building is being changed into The St. Augustine's Centre. This will be a place for the community with apartments, a coffee lounge, a cafe, and offices.

Listed Building Status

St Augustine's Church was made a Grade II listed building by English Heritage on May 22, 1995. This means it is a very important building that needs to be protected. There are many listed buildings in Brighton and Hove.

Architecture of St Augustine's Church

The church has a rounded end with flying buttresses.

Granville Streatfield designed St Augustine's in the Perpendicular Gothic style. This style has tall, thin windows and detailed stone work. He used red brick with stone decorations. The bricks are laid in a special pattern called a Flemish bond. The roof is made of tiles.

The main part of the church, the nave, has 5½ sections, called bays. The later chancel (the part near the altar) is also quite long, with four bays. It ends in a beautifully designed rounded section, called an apse, at the east end. The west end of the church was never fully finished. A tall tower was planned for this end but was never built.

Church Features

The main entrance is at the west end, through a small porch. Above the porch are two tall, narrow windows, called lancet windows, and a central arched window. There is another porch on the south side, facing Stanford Avenue. This porch has a sundial with a saying from the Bible: "the night cometh when no man can work."

The nave has pairs of lancet windows all around. They are separated by flat, column-like parts on the wall, called pilasters. Around the outside wall of the chancel, there are a series of flying buttresses. These are supports that help hold up the walls. The chancel also has lancet windows with fancy stone patterns, called tracery. The Lady chapel has similar features.

See also

• Grade II listed buildings in Brighton and Hove: S
• List of places of worship in Brighton and Hove