St Michael's Church, Brighton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Michael and All Angels, Brighton |
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The church from the southeast
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| 50°49′38.92″N 0°8′59.32″W / 50.8274778°N 0.1498111°W | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Modern Catholic |
| History | |
| Dedication | St. Michael and All Angels with All Saints |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | George F. Bodley (original); William Burges (extension) |
| Style | Gothic Revival style with Italianate elements |
| Years built | 1860–1861 (original); 1893–1895 (extension) |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Brighton, S. Michael and All Angels |
| Deanery | Brighton |
| Archdeaconry | Chichester |
| Diocese | Chichester |
| Province | Canterbury |
St. Michael and All Angels Church is an Anglican church in Brighton, England. It was built in the mid-Victorian era, a time when Queen Victoria ruled Britain. You can find it on Victoria Road in the Montpelier area. It is one of the biggest churches in the city of Brighton and Hove. This church is so important that it is a Grade I listed building, meaning it is protected for its special history and architecture.
Contents
Why Was St. Michael's Church Built?
The church serves the Montpelier and Clifton Hill areas of Brighton. These areas are west of Dyke Road and go up the steep hills between the Seven Dials district and the sea.
Before St. Michael's, St Stephen's Church served some parts of the area since 1851. However, it was not easy for everyone to reach. Most people who went there lived in the streets south of the church.
Choosing the Church Location
Building in Montpelier and Clifton Hill started in the 1820s. By the 1840s, these areas looked much like they do today, with many fancy houses. These included Regency terraces and crescents, like Clifton Terrace.
But one open space remained in the 1850s. It was called Temple Fields and had a field, a pond, and a partly built house. This spot was chosen for the new church. Today, Temple Fields is the area surrounded by Denmark Terrace, Clifton Hill, Powis Road, and Victoria Road. The church faces St. Michael's Place, Powis Road, and Victoria Road, where the main entrance is.
How Was St. Michael's Church Built?
The First Church Building
Plans for the church were made in 1858. Construction happened between 1860 and 1861. The church was designed by George Frederick Bodley. His father was a doctor in Brighton.
The outside of the church looked a bit like Italianate style. It was made of red brick with white stone stripes and a steep slate roof. It had a small spire called a flèche. This spire held a bell found in Sevastopol during the Crimean War (1854–1856).
The church took two years to build and cost £6,728. It was officially opened by the Bishop of Chichester on September 29, 1862. It could hold 700 people. At first, some seats had a fee to use them. Rev. Charles Beanlands became the first leader of St. Michael's. He stayed there until he died in 1898.
Making the Church Bigger
The church quickly became too small. In 1865, William Burges designed a new, larger church. His plan was to use Bodley's original building as two side aisles. The actual building work did not start until 1893. It was finished in two years under the guidance of J.S.Chapple, who was Burges's student. Burges and Bodley were born in the same year, 1827. It is not known why a different architect was chosen for the new design. The changes reportedly made Bodley a bit unhappy. Burges himself died in 1881, so he never saw his plans finished.
The outside of the new part matched the original church. It also had stripes of white stone and dark red brick. However, the new part was much taller. The original north aisle was removed. The rest of the old building became the south aisle of the new church. So, today, the main part of the church and the north aisle are from 1893. The south aisle is from the original building.
Plans for the extension also included a cloister (a covered walkway) and a campanile (a bell tower). Inside, more decorations were planned for the chancel (the area around the altar). These included an altar platform, special seats for priests, and a canopy over the altar. But these ideas were not built. Changes in this area happened around 1900. Architect W. H. Romaine-Walker added a marble wall, a screen for the chancel, a new marble altar, and more marble decorations. A rood screen (a screen separating the chancel from the main body of the church) and a new reredos (a decorated screen behind the altar) were also put in.
A church hall was built in 1970. It is north of the church, where the cloister was first planned.
What Does the Church Look Like Inside?
Burges's changes made the church look very different. He used stone inside instead of Bodley's colorful brickwork. But he kept the colorful style for the outside.
The inside has windows high up on the south side. There is a stone arch in the chancel. There are also stone columns with carved leaf designs. A group of artists called the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood helped decorate the inside. They were inspired by early Italian art. Bodley was connected to this group, especially Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris. William Morris, along with Philip Webb and Charles Faulkner, painted the chancel roof. The big windows on the west side of the church were made by Morris's company.
The church has many beautiful stained-glass windows. Morris made some in the old part of the building. Burne-Jones made others in the new part. The east end of Burges's building has three tall, narrow windows with simple patterns. Experts say that "no church in Sussex has better Victorian glass."
Other features inside include a grey marble font and a green stone pulpit. Both were designed by Bodley. A famous stained glass designer, Charles Eamer Kempe, helped restore a 15th-century reredos from Flanders. This artwork shows three scenes from Jesus's life.
St. Michael's Church Today
St. Michael's Church became its own parish in the early 1900s. Before that, it was just a small church helping a larger one. After St Stephens Church and All Saints Church closed, their areas became part of St. Michael's parish. Now, the parish covers a large area, including parts near Brighton railway station.
Services at St. Michael's have always followed the "High Church" or Anglo-Catholic traditions. This means they have more formal rituals and ceremonies. This caused some discussion when the church was new, but less than at other churches like St. Bartholomew's and St. Paul's.
The church has Mass every day at different times. On Sunday mornings, there is a special Sung Mass at 10:30 am. A priest is available for Confession after Saturday Masses. In the parish hall, there are Saturday breakfast meetings, a group for parents and toddlers, dance groups, choir practices, and other activities.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de San Miguel y Todos los Ángeles (Brighton) para niños
- Grade I listed buildings in Brighton and Hove
- List of places of worship in Brighton and Hove
