St John the Baptist's Church, Hove Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids St John the Baptist, Hove
The church from the east
50°49′36″N 0°09′53″W / 50.8268°N 0.1648°W / 50.8268; -0.1648
Location	Palmeira Square/Church Road, Hove, Brighton and Hove
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Central
History
Status	Parish church
Founded	1852
Dedication	John the Baptist
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	12 April 1983
Architect(s)	William and Edward Habershon
Style	Decorated Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	1852
Completed	1854
Specifications
Spire height	160 ft (49 m)
Administration
Parish	Hove, St John the Baptist
Deanery	Rural Deanery of Hove
Archdeaconry	Chichester
Diocese	Chichester
Province	Canterbury

St John the Baptist's Church is an Anglican church located in Hove, which is part of the city of Brighton and Hove in England. An Anglican church belongs to the Church of England. This church was built between 1852 and 1854. It was created to serve the people living in the Brunswick area of Hove. This area had started to grow in the 1830s.

A Look Back: The Church's History
- Why Was a New Church Needed?
- Building the Church
What Does the Church Look Like?
- Key Features of the Building
St John's Church Today
- Activities at the Church
Gallery
See also

A Look Back: The Church's History

The land where the Brunswick area was built used to be a farm called Wick Farm. In 1825, it was sold to Thomas Read Kemp. He was known for building the Kemp Town area in nearby Brighton. Read Kemp likely wanted to create a similar fancy neighborhood here.

However, not much happened until 1830. The land was then sold to Sir Isaac Lyon Goldsmid, a Jewish baronet. Even then, it took another 20 years for the building plans to really begin.

Why Was a New Church Needed?

Brunswick Town eventually had 150 houses. Many of these homes were very grand and expensive. But there was no good church nearby for the residents. Hove's original church, St Andrew's, was hard to get to. The closest church towards Brighton, also called St Andrew's, was too small.

Because of this, Sir Isaac Goldsmid gave some land for a new church. This land was near what is now the northwest corner of Palmeira Square.

Building the Church

The church leaders decided to build the church on March 21, 1851. Work on the building began on April 15, 1852. Money for the church came from loans, private gifts, and a special grant. They raised £4,500 in total.

Dr Ashurst Gilbert, who was the Bishop of Chichester, officially opened the new church on June 24, 1854. This official opening is called a consecration.

What Does the Church Look Like?

The church was designed by two brothers, William and Edward Habershon. They were architects who worked together. They designed the church in a style called Decorated Gothic. This style uses lots of decorative details. The church is built using flint stone and has special stone decorations.

Key Features of the Building

The church has a cruciform shape, which means it looks like a cross from above. It has a tower at its eastern end. This tower was added around 1870. The spire, which is the tall, pointed top, was also added around the same time. The spire makes the church 160 feet tall!

The windows are called lancet windows. They are tall and narrow. They have fancy stone patterns inside them, which is a feature of the Decorated Gothic style. A porch was added to the west side of the church between 1906 and 1907. It was designed by an architectural company from London called Rogers, Bone & Cole.

St John's Church Today

St John the Baptist's Church was given a special status on April 12, 1983. It was listed at Grade II. This means the building is considered "nationally important and of special interest." As of February 2001, it was one of 1,124 buildings in Brighton and Hove with this important Grade II status.

Activities at the Church

Today, the church is still very active. On Sundays, there are two Eucharist services, which are special church services. There is also a weekly Holy Communion service. This service uses an older version of the church's prayer book from 1662.

Once a month, there is a Communion service that follows the Celtic tradition. The church also has a discussion group that uses films. Plus, there are activities and a Sunday school especially for children!