St Philip's Church, Hove facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Philip, Hove
The church from the northeast
Denomination	Church of England
History
Status	Closed
Dedication	St Philip
Architecture
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	2 November 1992
Closed	11 October 2023
Administration
Parish	Hove, St Philip
Deanery	Rural Deanery of Hove
Archdeaconry	Chichester
Diocese	Chichester
Province	Canterbury

St Philip's Church was a special church in Hove, a city in England. It was part of the Church of England. The church first opened its doors in 1895. It was officially made a church in 1898. You could find it on New Church Road, close to another church called St Leonard's. St Philip's Church is a very important building. It is listed as a Grade II building. This means it has historical value. The church closed down in October 2023.

Church History: How St Philip's Began

New Church Road was once an old path. It connected the villages of Hove and Aldrington. Aldrington was a very old place. It had some activity during Roman and Saxon times. But by 1831, only one person lived there.

Growing Communities and New Churches

Hove started to grow quickly in the mid-1800s. This led to new buildings in Aldrington around 1850. The old St Leonard's Church was rebuilt. It served the people living there. By 1894, Hove and Aldrington had joined together. The population of Aldrington alone was over 2,200 people.

People decided they needed another church. This new church would serve the area east of St Leonard's. The leader of St Leonard's Church bought land. He bought it from the Duke of Portland in November 1894. He asked a famous architect, John Oldrid Scott, to design the new church. John Oldrid Scott was the son of Sir George Gilbert Scott.

Building and Expanding St Philip's

Building the church took less than a year. The very first service at St Philip's was on October 28, 1895. The church was officially made sacred on May 29, 1898. By then, about £5,500 had been spent. This money paid for building and the land.

The church was made bigger between 1909 and 1910. This cost about £4,000. During this time, they found a problem. The papers that gave the land to the church were not valid. So, a new plan was made. The church then became owned by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. In 1912, St Philip's got its own parish. A parish is an area served by a church. This parish still exists today. It has had ten vicars since it started.

Changes and Special Events

Another part was added to the church in 1941. An architecture company designed a new porch. In 1956, the west end of the church became a hall. A large painting was added in 1957 and 1958. It was a 300 square foot mural. The artist Augustus Lunn painted it. It showed scenes from Sussex.

The church became famous in 1995. This was its 100th birthday year. A well-known radio show called Any Questions? was recorded there. On March 10, 1995, important people took part. They answered questions from the audience. The show was live on BBC Radio 4. Famous politicians were on the show. They included former Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath. Also, Roy Jenkins and Gerald Kaufman were there.

Church Design: What St Philip's Looks Like

The outside of the church uses many different materials, like red brick.

St Philip's Church is a great example of John Oldrid Scott's work. Its style is mostly Gothic Revival. This means it looks like old Gothic churches. It is special because it uses many different colors and types of building materials.

You can see knapped flintwork, limestone, and red brick. These are all mixed together in cool patterns on the outside. The part added in 1909–1910 looks just like the older parts. You can't tell them apart.

Inside the Church

The church has a long main area called a nave. Part of this nave is now the church hall. It also has side areas called aisles. There is a special area for the altar called a chancel. There is also a small chapel called a Lady chapel. It has a lead roof. The church also has a porch and a room for the clergy called a vestry. A small spire, called a flèche), is on top.

Many windows in the church have beautiful stained glass. Charles Eamer Kempe designed the window at the east end. He was a very important stained glass artist. Other windows were made by a local company. One window shows Saint George. Another shows Saint Cecilia with a musical instrument. A third window shows the idea of Charity. A new bell was made for the church in 1961.

Holy Cross Church: A Sister Church

In 1903, a new mission hall opened. It was for the northern part of St Philip's parish. This hall was called the Holy Cross Church. In 1912, it became part of St Philip's parish. But in 1932, it got its own parish. Today, it is connected to the Bishop Hannington Memorial Church.

Before 1932, the Holy Cross building was used for many things. It was a church, a hall, and a place for social events. The vicar of St Philip's wanted to build a new hall. But it was never built. This is why part of St Philip's Church was turned into a hall in 1956.

St Philip's Church Today

English Heritage officially made St Philip's a Grade II listed building. This happened on November 2, 1992.

In 2000, a group was formed. They looked at the future of churches in the area. Their report came out in June 2003. It suggested that St Philip's Church should close. It also suggested it could be used for other things. This was because it was close to St Leonard's Church. St Leonard's was an older, more important church. Also, the churches found it hard to pay for their upkeep.

St Philip's Church was open for many years after that. It held services every Sunday. The church officially closed after a final service. This happened on October 11, 2023. The building was put up for sale by the Diocese of Chichester in late 2024.

See also

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