Union Chapel, Brighton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Union Chapel
The façade viewed from the southwest
Location	Union Street, The Lanes, Brighton, Brighton and Hove BN1 1HA, England
Founded	1683
Built	1683, 1688 or 1698
Built for	Presbyterian Church
Rebuilt	1825
Architect	Amon Wilds; possible involvement of Amon Henry Wilds and Charles Busby
Architectural style(s)	Classical
Listed Building – Grade II
Official name: Elim Tabernacle and attached railings
Designated	20 August 1971
Reference no.	1381041
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The Union Chapel, also known by names like Union Street Chapel or Elim Free Church, is a historic building in the heart of Brighton, England. For nearly 300 years, it served as a place of worship for different Christian groups. It was Brighton's very first church for people who were not part of the official Church of England. In 1988, it changed from a church to a pub.

The building was redesigned in 1825 during a time when Brighton was growing fast. Famous architects of that time, like Amon Wilds and Charles Busby, worked on it. The chapel is important for its design and is protected as a Grade II listed building.

A Look Back: Chapel's History

Brighton began as a small fishing village in the 1100s. Houses were built near the sea, and a church, St Nicholas' Church, was on higher ground. By the 1600s, the village had grown.

At first, St Nicholas' Church was the only place to worship. The Church of England was the only church allowed by law. Laws like the Conventicle Act of 1664 stopped other Christian groups, called Nonconformists, from meeting. But by 1660, a group of Nonconformists in Brighton was large enough to start a school. A survey in 1676 found that 8% of Brighton's people were Nonconformists.

As laws became less strict, the Nonconformists built their own chapel. It was first used by Presbyterians. The street where it stood was later named Union Street because of the chapel. People disagree on the exact year it was built. Some say 1683, others 1698, and some even 1688. A stone in the wall has a date, but it's hard to read clearly.

The east wall, built in a traditional Sussex style with cobbled stones and flints.

In its early years, only Presbyterians used the chapel. But its first long-term minister, Reverend John Duke, allowed other Christian ministers to hold services there too. This is why it was named "Union Chapel"—it brought different groups together.

Around 1800, a house was built next to the chapel for the minister. People also started to be buried in the yard behind the building. About ten years later, the chapel was made bigger. The east wall, made of stones and flints with red bricks, might be from this time. This style is common in Sussex.

Brighton grew quickly from a fishing village to a popular seaside town in the late 1700s. This was helped by royal visitors and doctors who said sea-bathing was good for health. By the early 1800s, many new buildings were needed. Three important builders and architects, Amon Wilds, his son Amon Henry Wilds, and Charles Busby, designed many of Brighton's famous buildings. These include Kemp Town and Regency Square.

The Union Chapel was completely redesigned in 1825. It was given a Classical style with elements from ancient Greek and Egyptian buildings. Experts disagree on which of the architects was mainly responsible. Most say Amon Wilds, but others suggest Charles Busby or Amon Henry Wilds.

A memorial tablet for Henry Varley, a preacher.

After the redesign, the chapel was still used by Presbyterians and Independents. But by 1838, only Independents used it. This happened during the time of Reverend John Nelson Goulty, who was minister for 37 years. Later, in the 1870s, a well-known preacher and poet, Reverend George Wade Robinson, preached here.

In 1875, the inside of the chapel was changed a bit. At the end of the 1800s, a new minister, Reverend Reginald Campbell, made the chapel popular again. Another church, Queen Square Congregational Church, was losing members. So, it joined with Union Chapel around 1898. Reverend Campbell became the minister, and the building was called "Union Church."

In 1905, the church members moved to the larger Queen Square church. Union Chapel was sold and became a mission hall called the Glynn Vivian Miners' Mission. It was supported by Glynn Vivian, a wealthy Welsh businessman. He became an Evangelical Christian after losing his sight and spent his life helping miners. The mission used the chapel until 1927 or 1931. Then, the Elim Pentecostal Church bought it. It was renamed the Elim Free Church or Elim Tabernacle. They changed the inside, removing most of the old features from 1825.

In September 1988, the Elim church left the building. It was sold to become a restaurant or pub, ending almost 300 years of religious use. The Firkin Brewery bought it and turned it into a pub called "Font & Firkin." They even had a small brewery inside.

Building Design and Features

The Union Chapel building stands out on Union Street. This street is now a narrow walking path in The Lanes, which is a maze of old passages in Brighton.

The front of the building is tall and wide. It is covered in a smooth material called stucco. It has a Greek Revival style with columns and a large triangle shape at the top, like many buildings from Brighton's Regency era. But its two doors and three windows get narrower towards the top, which is a style from Egyptian Revival architecture.

The east wall, which faces Meeting House Lane, is older than the 1825 front. It is made of stones and flints in a neat pattern, with red bricks at the corners and around the windows.

The inside of the building has changed a lot since it became a pub. It used to have a balcony (gallery) on three sides. This gallery was supported by iron columns with fancy tops. It was the only part of the 1800s interior that remained when the Elim church used the building. The pulpit, where the preacher stood, was in the middle of three arches on the north wall. The seats were arranged in a semicircle facing it.

The Chapel Today

After the Elim church moved out, the building became the Font & Firkin pub. This pub was part of the Firkin Brewery chain, which later closed down. The Font & Firkin was the last pub in the chain to stop brewing its own beer in 2003. It is still open today and is simply called The Font.

The building was given Grade II listed status on August 20, 1971. This means it is an important historic building that needs to be protected. It is one of many listed buildings in Brighton and Hove.

See also

• List of places of worship in Brighton and Hove
• Pubs in Brighton