St Peter's Church, Shoreham-by-Sea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St John's Court (formerly St Peter's Church) |
|
|---|---|
,_Shoreham-by-Sea_(IoE_Code_297316).jpg)
The former church from the south-southwest
|
|
| Location | Between Ship Street and John Street, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex BN43 5DU, England |
| Built | 1875 |
| Architect | Charles Alban Buckler |
| Architectural style(s) | Decorated Gothic |
|
Listed Building – Grade II
|
|
| Official name: Church of St. Peter and No. 7 John Street (the Shoreham-by-Sea Nursing Home) | |
| Designated | 16 August 1983 |
| Reference no. | 1193095 |
| St Peter's Church | |
|---|---|
,_Shoreham-by-Sea.jpg)
The church from the south
|
|
| 50°50′03″N 0°16′37″W / 50.8341°N 0.2770°W | |
| Location | West Street, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex BN43 5DL |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Church |
| Founded | 1875 (in previous building) |
| Dedication | Saint Peter |
| Consecrated | 1982 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Completed | 1982 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Our Lady Queen of Peace, Adur Valley |
| Deanery | Worthing |
| Diocese | Arundel and Brighton |
St Peter's Church is a name used for two different Roman Catholic churches in Shoreham-by-Sea, a town in West Sussex, England. The first St Peter's Church was built in 1875. It was the first permanent Roman Catholic place of worship in the town.
A very important person, Augusta, Duchess of Norfolk, paid for the first church. Her family, the Dukes of Norfolk, were a very important Roman Catholic family in England. After many years, the first church closed. A new St Peter's Church was then built nearby. The old building is still standing today. It has been changed into homes and is considered a special historic building.
Contents
The First St Peter's Church
How the Church Started
Shoreham-by-Sea grew from an older village called Old Shoreham. This village was next to the River Adur and the English Channel. Over time, the town grew bigger and became a busy port.
By the mid-1800s, Shoreham had two large Anglican churches. But Roman Catholics in the town did not have their own church. A priest from Worthing started holding church services in a house. Later, these services moved to an old schoolroom. The land for this schoolroom was given by Reverend William Wheeler. He used to be an Anglican priest but became a Roman Catholic in 1855. He wanted a permanent church to be built.
Who Paid for It?
The money to build the church came from Augusta, Duchess of Norfolk. She married into the Norfolk family, who were the most important Roman Catholic family in England. Her husband lived nearby at Arundel Castle.
The church was designed by Charles Buckler, an architect who designed many Roman Catholic churches in Sussex. The church was finished and opened in 1875. It was a large and serious-looking building. A house for the priest, called a presbytery, was added next to it in 1877. The church could hold about 200 people. It cost about £5,000 to build, which was a lot of money back then.
What the Church Looked Like
Charles Buckler designed St Peter's Church in the Decorated Gothic style. This style was popular in the 13th and 14th centuries. The church was built with rough stones called flint and smooth cut stones called ashlar.
It did not have a tall spire or tower. Instead, it had a small bell-tower on the roof at the west end. The roof was tiled and had a pointed shape, called a gable. There were four large, tall windows on the north and south walls. These windows had fancy stone patterns called tracery. Inside, there was a long main area called a nave and a special area near the altar called a chancel. There was also a gallery at the back.
What Happened to the Building?
The first St Peter's Church closed in 1982. It was sold and changed into a nursing home. Many of its original church features, like the detailed window tracery, were kept.
In 2002, the building was changed again, this time into flats (apartments). The fancy window tracery was removed and replaced with plain windows. However, most of the building's structure stayed the same. The flats are now called "St John's Court." This name refers to the old name of John Street, which was named after the Knights of St John. These knights were active in Shoreham a long time ago, in the 1100s.
The old St Peter's Church was given a special status by English Heritage on August 16, 1983. It is a Grade II listed building. This means it is "nationally important and of special interest."
The New St Peter's Church
After the first church closed, a new St Peter's Church was built. It is a low, rectangular building located just north of the old one. Construction started in 1983. The new church stands on the corner of West Street and North Street. This spot used to be a Roman Catholic school, which moved to a different part of town in the 1960s. Before that, a house from the 1600s stood there.
The new church is part of a larger group of churches called Our Lady Queen of Peace, Adur Valley. This group includes three Roman Catholic churches in the area. One priest serves all three churches.
Church services, called Masses, are held every Sunday. There are also evening Masses on special holy days.
See also
