Stanmer Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Stanmer Church |
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The church from the southwest, facing Stanmer Park
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| 50°52′13″N 0°6′7″W / 50.87028°N 0.10194°W | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Status | Church |
| Dedication | None |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II listed |
| Designated | 2 November 1954 |
| Closed | 31 March 2008 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Stanmer with Falmer |
| Deanery | Rural Deanery of Brighton |
| Archdeaconry | Brighton and Lewes |
| Diocese | Chichester |
| Province | Canterbury |
Stanmer Church is an old Anglican church. It is located in Stanmer village, near the city of Brighton and Hove in England. The village is inside Stanmer Park. This park used to be the private land of the Earl of Chichester. After World War II, the city of Brighton bought the park. They wanted it to be a public space for everyone to enjoy. The church and a large house called Stanmer House are both within the park. In 2008, the church was no longer used for regular services. It is now a Grade II listed building, which means it is an important historical site.
History of Stanmer Church
The history of Stanmer village goes back a long way. Records show that in 765, the village and its land were given to a monastery in Lewes. For many centuries, the village belonged to the Church. It was part of the area controlled by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Later, during the time of King Henry VIII, the land was taken by the King. This happened when many monasteries were closed down.
A church was first built in Stanmer during the Middle Ages. We know it existed by 1232. This old church stood on open land outside the village. We do not know its original name. Not much is known about this first building. The only things left from that time are some old yew trees in the churchyard. There are also a few old memorial stones.
In 1555, the church and its land were given back to the Archbishop of Canterbury. In the 16th century, the Pelham family became linked to Stanmer. They took over the whole estate in the early 1700s. Stanmer House, a beautiful Grade I-listed house, was built for them in 1722. In 1801, the Pelham family became even more important. Thomas Pelham was given the title of Earl of Chichester. The Earls then tore down the old village houses. They built a new "estate village" to the north-east of the church.
In 1838, the third Earl of Chichester, Henry Thomas Pelham, decided to build a new church. He had the old one taken down. The new church was built in the same spot. The architect was probably Ralph Joanes. This new building is simply known as "Stanmer Church."
The city of Brighton bought the Stanmer Estate in 1947. This was part of their plan to buy more land for the city. In 1952, the area of Brighton was made bigger to include Stanmer.
The Diocese of Chichester announced that the church would no longer hold regular services from December 29, 2008. This means it was "redundant." However, the Stanmer Preservation Society now looks after the building. They open it every Sunday for visitors. They also hold special events like talks and concerts. In the early 1990s, the first episode of the TV show Mr. Bean was filmed here.
Church Design
Stanmer Church is built in the Early English style. This is a type of Gothic architecture. It has a simple shape, like a cross. It includes a chancel (the area around the altar), a nave (the main part where people sit), and north and south transepts (the arms of the cross). At the west end, there is a tower with a thin, shingled spire on top. The entrance porch is inside the bottom part of the tower. The tower also holds bells that were made in 1791.
The outside of the church is made from knapped flintwork. This means stones that have been shaped. The corners of the building are made of larger stone blocks. The roof is made of slate.
Inside, the walls are stone. There are many beautiful wooden fittings. Jude Jones, who was the carpenter for the Earls of Chichester, designed and built all the wooden parts. He was also an active member of the church. The chancel roof has wooden panels. It also has fancy rib vaults and detailed ceiling bosses. The nave roof also has panels with a special shape called a trefoil.
At the west end, there is a gallery. This is where an organ built in 1839 is located. There is also a stone screen behind the altar called a reredos. It has trefoil-shaped panels and was made in the mid-1800s. On either side of it are panels showing the Ten Commandments. Jude Jones designed these too. He also made the pulpit, altar, and lectern. His son, Francis Jude Jones, took over his job. He was also a skilled carpenter. He designed new entrance doors for the church. These doors were a memorial to the 7th Earl of Chichester.
Five memorial tablets and stones from the old church were moved here. The oldest one not for a Pelham family member is from 1626. It remembers Deborah Goffe, whose son was one of the judges at the trial of King Charles I. Another memorial remembers Sir John Pelham, his wife, and their son. They all died in the 16th century. Their memorial shows them kneeling below their family symbol. Other memorials for the Pelham family are in the south transept.
Churchyard Features
The churchyard has a very interesting wellhouse. It was rebuilt at the same time as the church. Inside, there is a rare donkey-wheel. This wheel is from the 1700s or even earlier. Donkey-wheels are like smaller versions of horse-gins. An animal, usually a donkey, walks in a circle. This turns a wheel connected to a pump. The pump then pulls water up from the ground. Before machines, animals were used to get water in places where the water was very deep. This was common in Sussex in the 1700s. By 1968, only a few donkey-wheels and horse-gins were left. In 2007, a tree fell and damaged the wellhouse. But the Stanmer Preservation Society repaired it.
Several members of the Pelham family are buried in the churchyard. Most of their graves are on the south side of the church. The churchyard also has one war grave listed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. It belongs to the 8th Earl of Chichester. He was a Captain in the Scots Guards and died in a road accident in 1944.
Stanmer Church Today
Stanmer Church was made a Grade II listed building on November 2, 1954. The wellhouse also has its own Grade II listing from the same date.
Stanmer Church is still part of the combined parish of Stanmer and Falmer. The church in Falmer is called St Laurence's. However, it is in a different local area, not in Brighton and Hove. The parish covers a mostly countryside area. This includes Stanmer and Falmer villages. It also includes the main campuses of the University of Sussex and the University of Brighton. The parish priest used to be in charge of the chaplains for both universities. Before it closed, there was a service every Sunday evening. There were also prayer sessions twice a month. Even though it is no longer used for religious services, the Stanmer Preservation Society opens it every Sunday.
In the late 1980s, some parts of the TV show Mr. Bean were filmed here.
See also
- Grade II listed buildings in Brighton and Hove: S
- List of places of worship in Brighton and Hove
