St John the Evangelist's Church, Preston Village facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St John the Evangelist's Church
The church from the northwest
50°50′40″N 0°09′03″W / 50.8445°N 0.1509°W / 50.8445; -0.1509
Location	Knoyle Road/Preston Road, Preston Village, Brighton and Hove BN1 6RB
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Anglican
Website	www.brightonstjohn.org.uk/
History
Status	Active
Founded	16 October 1901
Dedication	John the Evangelist
Dedicated	26 October 1902
Architecture
Functional status	Parish church
Heritage designation	Grade II listed
Designated	26 August 1999
Architect(s)	Arthur Blomfield
Style	Early English Revival
Groundbreaking	June 1901
Completed	1926
Specifications
Capacity	800
Administration
Parish	Preston, St John with St Augustine and St Saviour
Deanery	Rural Deanery of Brighton
Archdeaconry	Chichester
Diocese	Chichester
Province	Canterbury

St John the Evangelist's Church is an Anglican church located in the Preston Village area of Brighton, England. This beautiful building is a Grade II listed building, which means it's considered important and protected.

The church was designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield. Construction began in 1901, but it took about 25 years to finish completely. During this time, the older local church in Preston was badly damaged by fire. Because of this, St John the Evangelist's Church became the main parish church for the area, a role it still holds today.

How Did St John's Church Begin?

Preston Village: A Growing Community

Preston was a small village located about 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) northwest of Brighton. It existed even before the Domesday Book was written in 1086. The original church for the village was St Peter's Church.

The first St Peter's Church building is no longer there. It was rebuilt around 1260 using flint stone. The village grew around a crossroads and a large house called Preston Manor. Preston became part of Brighton in 1873.

Why a New Church Was Needed

In the mid-1860s, a family named Stanford sold most of their land in Preston. This led to many new homes being built. The village grew very quickly, and the old St Peter's Church became too small for all the new people.

In 1899, the new vicar suggested making the old church bigger. However, the church leaders and local people thought it was better not to change the very old building. Instead, they decided to build a brand new church. They chose a spot in the garden of the vicar's house.

Building the New Church

Work on the new church started quickly in the summer of 1901. The site was at the corner of Preston Road and Knoyle Road. The Bishop of Chichester, Ernest Roland Wilberforce, laid the foundation stone on October 16, 1901.

Sir Arthur Blomfield was the architect who designed the church. A building company from Crawley called James Longley built it. Construction continued into the next year. The church officially opened on October 26, 1902, after a special dedication ceremony.

Becoming the Main Parish Church

At first, St Peter's Church was still the main church for Preston. But on June 23, 1906, St Peter's Church was badly damaged by a serious fire. Because of this, church leaders decided to make St John the Evangelist's Church the new main parish church. This change was completed at the end of 1908.

A temporary church hall, made of iron, was used until 1913. Then, a permanent hall was built. In 1927, someone from the church gave money to build another hall next to it. The church itself was also made larger in 1926 with the addition of a chancel.

What Does St John's Church Look Like?

Architectural Style and Features

Sir Arthur Blomfield designed St John's Church in the Early English style. This style is known for its simple, strong look. The church is very long. It has a main area called a nave with five sections. The chancel, which is the area near the altar, is just beyond the nave.

Where the roof changes slightly, there is a small, pointed spire called a flèche. It is made of wood and lead. The outside of the church is made of stone. The roof is covered with tiles.

Inside the Church

The church has several important parts. These include the chancel, a large arch (chancel arch), and the nave with side areas called aisles. There's also a vestry (a room for clergy), a baptistery (for baptisms), and a narthex (an entrance area).

Above the aisles, there are rows of windows called clerestories. Both the aisles and the clerestories have five pairs of tall, narrow windows called lancet windows.

Inside, you can see special seats for the clergy called a sedilia. There's also an organ area, choir stalls, and a screen that separates the chancel. The pulpit, where sermons are given, is multi-sided and decorated with green marble.

Behind the altar, there is a stone reredos designed like a triptych (a three-part artwork). It shows the Ascension of Jesus. There is also a beautiful marble font that shows an angel kneeling with a shell.

St John's Church Today

St Augustine's Church, whose former parish is now part of St John the Evangelist's

St John the Evangelist's Church was officially recognized as a Grade II listed building by English Heritage on August 26, 1999. This means it's an important historic building that needs to be protected. There are many listed buildings in Brighton and Hove, and St John's is one of them.

The area that St John's Church serves, called its parish, became larger in the early 2000s. This happened after St Augustine's Church closed. St Augustine's Church opened in 1896 near Preston Park. It was no longer needed in 2002, and its parish joined St John the Evangelist's.

The official name for the parish is now "St John with St Augustine and St Saviour." This is because St Augustine's old parish had also taken in the parish of St Saviour's Church in the 1980s. St Saviour's Church was built in 1886 but closed in 1981 and was taken down two years later.

The parish boundaries for St John's Church follow several roads and the railway line.

See also

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