St Bartholomew's Church, Brighton facts for kids

This page is about a church in Brighton. For others dedicated to St Bartholomew, see St. Bartholomew's Church.

Quick facts for kids St Bartholomew's Church, Brighton
The church from the south-southwest
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Traditional Anglo-Catholic / Anglo-Papalist
History
Dedication	St Bartholomew
Specifications
Height	144 ft (44 m)
Administration
Parish	Brighton, St Bartholomew
Deanery	Brighton
Archdeaconry	Chichester
Diocese	Chichester
Province	Canterbury

St Bartholomew's Church is a special Anglican church in Brighton, England. It is named after the apostle Bartholomew. This church is built in a style called neo-gothic. You can find it on Ann Street, near Brighton railway station and the A23 London Road. It's easy to spot because it's very tall and made of distinctive red bricks. Many people in Brighton can see it from different parts of the city.

Building a Giant Church: Its History
Look and Design: Inside and Out
Today's Church
Photo gallery
See also

Building a Giant Church: Its History

The idea for St Bartholomew's Church came from a man named Revd Arthur Douglas Wagner. His father, Henry Michell Wagner, had been the Vicar of Brighton for a long time. When his father passed away in 1870, Arthur wanted to continue building new churches in Brighton.

Arthur Wagner had already built a temporary church and a school nearby in 1868. After his father's death, he decided to build a much grander church in the same area. His first plan in 1871 was for a church and school building combined. It was going to be very long, about 322 feet (98 meters).

But Wagner changed his mind. He wanted a much taller church! In 1873, he submitted new plans. The church would be shorter, about 170 feet (52 meters), but much wider, 59 feet (18 meters). Most importantly, it would be incredibly tall, reaching 135 feet (41 meters) to the roof. A cross on top adds another 9 feet (2.7 meters).

Building started in early 1872 and continued for 19 months. The church officially opened on September 18, 1874, even though work was still going on. It was special because it was the first church in Brighton to offer free seating for everyone. This meant up to 1,500 people could attend without paying for a seat. This was a big change, as many churches at the time made money by charging "pew rents" for seats.

Look and Design: Inside and Out

A Brighton architect named Edmund Scott designed the church. However, many believe that Arthur Wagner, who was willing to spend a lot of money, guided Scott's design choices. Scott also designed St Botolph's Church, Heene in Worthing, which is another example of his Gothic Revival style.

Outside the Church

The church looks very unusual and strong from the outside. It's so tall that it stands out above the smaller buildings around it. The walls are made of reddish-brown bricks that have turned a purplish-brown over time. The roof is very steep and covered with dark tiles.

Along the sides of the church, you can see narrow supports called buttresses. These help hold up the tall walls. Between the buttresses are tall, pointed windows. On the south side, there's a huge round window called a rose window. On top of the roof, at the south end, there's a 9-foot (2.7-meter) shiny gold cross. This cross makes the church's total height 144 feet (44 meters).

Building St Bartholomew's cost about £18,000 in 1874. This was less than other churches built around that time because they used bricks instead of more expensive stone. The church was never fully finished as planned. For example, the north side was not completed, and ideas for extra parts like transepts (side wings) or a tall spire were never built.

Inside the Church

The main open area, called the nave.

The main altar.

A side chapel altar designed by Henry Wilson.

When you step inside, the church feels very open and huge. It's like one giant hall, with a lot of space and height. The main open area is called the nave. Along the side walls, there are tall arches where smaller side-chapels are located. These chapels fit well with the main hall. Above the arches, there's a shallow walkway called a triforium, and even higher up, just below the roof, are the clerestory windows, which are tall and pointed.

The inside walls are mostly made of the same plain brick as the outside. However, at the north end, above the main altar, there's a large cross made of white chalk, about 30 feet (9 meters) high. You can also see a set of carved wood and stone pictures called Stations of the Cross on the side chapel walls. These were brought from Bruges in 1881. Above the altar, there are also beautiful mosaics designed by F. Hamilton Jackson, an artist from the Arts and Crafts movement.

The main altar and the special area around it, called the sanctuary, are very decorated. These were added when Revd Arthur W. C. Cocks became the vicar in 1895. An architect and designer named Henry Wilson was in charge of these designs. The sanctuary has a huge, 45-foot (14-meter) canopy called a baldacchino, made of red and green marble. Underneath it is a new altar with a silver box called a tabernacle and a white marble shelf holding a large crucifix and candlesticks.

One of the side chapels has a special altar for the Virgin Mary, designed by Wilson in 1902. It's made of silver on copper, with a special technique called repoussé that creates raised patterns.

In 1906, Wilson also designed a new pulpit (where the preacher stands) using different types of marble. It has six red marble columns supporting a large block of green Irish marble. At the same time, a big gallery was built at the south end of the church for the organ and up to 150 singers and musicians. In 1908, a large, eight-sided font (for baptisms), also made of green marble, was placed in a special area.

Henry Wilson stopped working on the church in 1911. The mosaics above the altar were finished in 1912. There were plans to finally complete the unfinished north end of the church, but these never happened due to World War I and a lack of money.

Is it the Tallest Church?

Many people say St Bartholomew's is the "tallest church in England" or even the "British Isles." This needs a bit of explanation. Most churches are measured to the top of their spires or steeples. For example, St Walburge's Church in Preston is 309 feet (94 meters) tall with its spire.

However, St Bartholomew's doesn't have a spire or a tower. Its height of 135 feet (41 meters) is measured to the very top of its roof, plus the 9-foot cross. So, if you only count the main body of the church and not any spires or towers, then St Bartholomew's is indeed one of the tallest churches. Also, its main hall (nave) is considered the largest in Britain among parish churches (not cathedrals).

How People Reacted

The church's unusual design and fancy inside caused a lot of talk when it was first built. Some people, especially those who didn't like the church's Anglo-Catholic style, were worried. One person wrote a letter to a newspaper in 1874, saying they were concerned about "dark spiral staircases" and "little and almost dark rooms." They wondered if the church was being used for secret nunneries! In reality, these were just parts of the church's upper walkways.

In 1893, there was a big discussion at the Town Council. It turned out the church was two feet taller than the plans had shown! Even though the fine was very small, people used the chance to criticize the building. They called it names like "a cheese warehouse," "a Noah's Ark in brick," "a monster excrescence" (meaning an ugly growth), "a huge barn," and "Wagner's folly." Some people still call it "Noah's Ark" today because of its shape.

People living near the church also complained. They said the church's height caused strong winds that made their chimneys smoke too much. Arthur Wagner, who had a lot of money, actually bought some of their houses and lowered their rent to stop their complaints!

Today's Church

St Bartholomew's Church is a Grade I-listed building. This means it's considered a very important building with outstanding history or architecture. Because it's so big, it has amazing sound quality. This makes it a great place for concerts, especially classical music, and for large gatherings of people.

Photo gallery

The liturgical north (actually West) side.
The church's size makes it visible from much of the city, though new buildings nearby are starting to block some views.
The organ, from 1901, and a painting of the Crucifixion.
Henry Wilson's Lady altar.
The sanctuary, altar and baldacchino, with the base of the enormous chalk cross above.
Inside view of the large rose window.
The back of the church towering over the London Road car park.
The liturgical west (actually south) end of the church, showing the steep roof and the rose window below.