St Leonard's Church, Aldrington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Leonard, Aldrington
The church from the southwest
50°49′58.58″N 0°12′13.56″W / 50.8329389°N 0.2037667°W / 50.8329389; -0.2037667
Denomination	Church of England
History
Dedication	Saint Leonard of Noblac
Administration
Parish	Aldrington, St Leonard
Deanery	Rural Deanery of Hove
Archdeaconry	Archdeaconry of Brighton & Lewes
Diocese	Chichester
Province	Canterbury

St Leonard's Church is an Anglican church located in Hove, a city in England. You can find it on New Church Road in the Aldrington area. Aldrington used to be a separate village, and St Leonard's serves as its main parish church. The road was renamed New Church Road because another church, St Philip's, started being built nearby in 1894.

The Story of St Leonard's Church

Aldrington's Early Days

Aldrington was a small village during the Middle Ages. It was located between Hove to the east and the older settlement of Portslade, which was near the River Adur. Over time, the river changed its path, and fewer people lived in Aldrington. A big storm in 1703, called the Great Storm of 1703, damaged many homes. By 1800, no one lived there anymore.

There was a medieval church built in the 1200s. It had a tower, a chancel (the area around the altar), and a nave (the main part where people sit). This old church started to fall apart in the 1500s. By 1638, it was in ruins, and its walls completely collapsed after 1800.

A Village Reborn

In the 1800s, Hove grew very quickly. As more people needed homes, development spread west towards Aldrington. Church Road, a main route, was extended into Portslade. From 1875 onwards, all the land south of Church Road was filled with houses. The opening of Aldrington railway station also helped the area grow.

In 1893, Aldrington officially became part of Hove. The next year, the western part of Church Road was renamed New Church Road. This happened because plans were made to build St Philip's Church there.

Rebuilding the Church

The old St Leonard's church remained in ruins until 1878. Architects Richard Herbert Carpenter and Benjamin Ingelow were chosen to rebuild it. They used parts of the old tower and south side in their new design. The new church looked like the medieval style, with tall, narrow lancet windows and walls made of knapped flintwork (a type of stone). The new tower also had six bells.

Bigger and Better: The 1936 Changes

Another big rebuilding project happened in 1936. This was done to make the church much larger. Harold Milburn-Pett, an architect for the Diocese of Chichester, led this work. The church was made much wider. The original nave became an aisle (a side passage), and a new, larger nave and chancel were built on the north side.

There were plans to add another aisle on the north side, but it was never built. Because of this, the northern outer wall of the church looks different from the others. It's made of red brick, while the rest of the church, like the 1878 work, uses knapped flint. In the same year, a spire (a tall, pointed roof) was added to the tower for the first time. New lancet windows were put in after World War II. A lychgate (a covered gateway to a churchyard) was also added on the south side.

A Special Building

St Leonard's Church was given a special status in 1950. It was listed as Grade II. This means it's considered a "nationally important" building with "special interest." As of 2001, it was one of many Grade II-listed buildings in Brighton and Hove.

The ashes of actor C. Aubrey Smith are buried in his mother's grave in the churchyard. The churchyard also has a grave from 1917 for a soldier from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

The Parish Area

The parish of St Leonard's covers the Aldrington area. This includes all the streets within certain boundaries: Wish Road, the sea, Boundary Road/Station Road, and the railway line between Portslade and Aldrington stations. It also goes north of the railway to include all of Hove Cemetery. This cemetery first opened in 1882 and was later made bigger.

See also

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