External Photographs of St.Peters, Brighton.
The Steyne - now called the Steine, was at nearly an equal distance from
the eastern and western limits of the town, forming the southern extreme of
a vale in the Downs, extending towards Lewes. Further inland are the North
Steynes, St. Peter's Church, the Level.
The view of St. Peters church from the north-east corner
The Steine, which 220 years ago was nothing more than a piece of waste land,
was used by the fishermen for drying and mending their nets, and by the inhabitants
generally, as a repository for heaving goods, the sale of coals, boat building,
etc, was considerably improved in 1793, at the expense of his late Majesty,
then Prince of Wales, and the Duke of Marlborough; soon after which, it was
levelled and inclosed with low wooden railing, and the nuisances were gradually
removed; so that for many years it was esteemed the only fashionable promenade:
now it has many rivals.
The church terminating the northern Steine, has been dedicated to St. Peter.
This elegant structure is situated on a triangular piece of ground, formed
by the junction of the London and Lewes roads, called the Level. This magnificent
church is built of Purbeck stone, and will reflect lasting credit on C. Barry,
Esq. the architect who built the Houses of Parliament. Its dimensions are
150 feet from south to north, by about 70 from east to west, and will accommodate
about one thousand eight hundred persons.
The tower of the church has long been a landmark at sea and thousands of
fisher folk have attended its services. So did Mr Gladstone and King Edward.
The building is a parallelogram, with a semi-hexagonal termination at the
north, and a handsome tower at the south end. The style of architecture adopted
throughout this church is of the period of Edward the Third, or the highly
enriched order of English architecture.
The lower part of the tower, to an equal height with the clerestory of the
church, is partly concealed by an outer tower, in three sides of which are
large pointed arches, with pedimental canopies, crocketed, and attached pinnacles
on each side.
Nave and tower of St. Peters
The tower has in each of its faces a pointed doorway and window, and the
space between the wall and the tower has a neatly groined roof; the portion
which rises above the exterior wall has octagonal buttresses at the angles,
ending in similar turrets to those belonging to the outer tower. In each face
is a handsome clock dial, and above it a pointed window of two lights, with
trefoil heads, and a quatrefoil enclosed in a circle in the sweep of the arch.
All these windows are filled with weather boarding.
The finish of the tower is a very elegant pierced battlement, with a small
pinnacle in the centre of each face. The east and west sides of the church
are divided into five portions, by buttresses of two gradations, which finish
above the parapet in very elegant pinnacles, crocketed, and terminating in
finials ; in each of the divisions is a large pointed window of three lights.
Each window has a weather cornice resting on human heads, exquisitely carved.
The clerestory, which ranges with the lower portion of the tower, and has
a similar parapet, is made into six divisions by buttresses, without gradations,
ending in pinnacles; in each division is a square-headed window of two lights,
trefoil heads, and intersecting arches, with a quatrefoil in the centre.
The north end of the aisle has a similar window. Each front of the semi-hexagon,
at the north end of the church, is adorned with buttresses, with pointed niches,
and pedimental heads rising above the church in rich crocketed pinnacles.
Detail of the exquisitely carved tower
The architect's estimate was £14,703. 9s. 5d and the final cost was
£20,000. The first stone was laid on the 1st of May, 1824, by Dr. Carr,
then vicar of Brighton, later bishop of Worcester. The superb service of plate
for the communion is the gift of the Earl of Egremont.
The ground round the church was extensive, and planted with trees. The whole
was surrounded by an iron palisade of Gothic work. From the form of the ground
it became necessary to build the church with the communion table towards the
north, instead of the east, as is usual in churches of the establishment.
The tower contains a fine peal of ten bells, said to be the largest in Sussex.
They were given in 1914 by Mr John Thornton Richman of Lewes. The donor's
name is inscribed on the great tenor bell, which weighs 25½ cwt.
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