St Joseph's Church, Brighton
Encyclopedia
St Joseph's Church is a Roman Catholic church in Brighton
, part of the English
city of Brighton and Hove. It is one of eleven Roman Catholic churches in the city. The church was built in several stages, and outstanding debts meant that its official dedication did not take place until 1979. It has been listed at Grade II* by English Heritage
in view of its architectural importance.
at the top of Race Hill. The road was laid out on the steeply sloping site in the 1850s, and rapid residential development occurred over the next decade. More houses were built later in the 19th century on the road itself and on streets running to the north and south, and by 1900 the area was densely populated.
A Roman Catholic place of worship has existed at the bottom (west) end of Elm Grove since the late 1860s. Recent research has found that a temporary mission chapel
, completed in 1869, stood on the site now occupied by St Joseph's. (Older sources suggested that the building completed in that year was the first part of the present church structure.) A local resident, Matthew Haddock, died in the 1870s; in his will he expressed a wish for a permanent church to be built to replace the mission chapel, and his wife donated £10,000 of bonds
to fund this. Architect William Kedo Broder designed a tall stone building in accordance with Mrs Haddock's proposals, and the first part of the building—the sanctuary and part of the nave
—was opened in May 1879. In 1880 the sanctuary was enlarged and the apse
was built. Before any more of Kedo Broder's designs could be realised, he was killed in January 1881, falling from a moving train.
J.S. Hansom, a member of a family of architects known for their work on Roman Catholic churches, was commissioned to continue the project. His plans were less ambitious, and by 1883 he had completed the east end of the church, which consisted of one polygonal apse
flanked by two smaller versions. The next stage, completed in 1885, included a side chapel and a south transept
, which was smaller than Hansom had intended.
The next alteration came in 1900, when another architect, Frederick Walters
, was commissioned to build the west front. His plans were designed to complement the existing structure, and included a tower which was never built. The work was completed in March 1901. The final period of building work took place in 1906; this included a north transept and side chapel, and the enlargement of their counterparts on the south side. The church reopened for worship on 6 May 1906.
Only minor alterations have been made since the 1906 work: in the 1970s one of the side chapels was reconfigured in the style of the Grotto at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes
in France, and the sanctuary itself was reordered. Later in the decade, the church received its official dedication after a longstanding problem with a debt had been resolved. This happened on 8 May 1979, 100 years to the month after building work began. By 1906, £15,000 (£ as of ) had been spent on construction.
(a type of limestone
) with dressings of Bath Stone
. The east end has three five-sided apses; the outer pair form side chapels. All three have windows with trefoil
designs. The entrance is at the west end in a porch with a gable
d roof. The chancel has seven bays
and is separated from the nave by an intricate chancel arch. The nave has low, narrow aisles on the south and north sides. The church is very tall, and the roof is vaulted
; the shafts are of pale brick and stone.
St Joseph's Church was listed at Grade II* by English Heritage
on 19 July 1985. This status is given to "particularly important buildings of more than special interest". As of February 2001, it was one of 70 Grade II*-listed buildings and structures, and 1,218 listed buildings of all grades, in the city of Brighton and Hove.
The church is one of eleven Roman Catholic churches in the city of Brighton and Hove, and one of six in Brighton itself (there are also three in Hove
and one each in Rottingdean
and Woodingdean
). It is responsible for the administration of St Francis of Assisi's church on the Moulsecoomb
estate in northeast Brighton. Originally an Anglican
place of worship, this was reconsecrated as a Roman Catholic church in 1953.
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, part of the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
city of Brighton and Hove. It is one of eleven Roman Catholic churches in the city. The church was built in several stages, and outstanding debts meant that its official dedication did not take place until 1979. It has been listed at Grade II* by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
in view of its architectural importance.
History
Elm Grove was built to connect the Lewes Road, which ran into the centre of Brighton, and Brighton RacecourseBrighton Racecourse
Brighton Racecourse is a horse racing course at Brighton, East Sussex in England, for flat races of up to about one and a half miles. The course is one of three courses in Britain which is not a circuit and forms a figure like three sides of a square, sloping, with wide left-hand turns and an...
at the top of Race Hill. The road was laid out on the steeply sloping site in the 1850s, and rapid residential development occurred over the next decade. More houses were built later in the 19th century on the road itself and on streets running to the north and south, and by 1900 the area was densely populated.
A Roman Catholic place of worship has existed at the bottom (west) end of Elm Grove since the late 1860s. Recent research has found that a temporary mission chapel
Chapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
, completed in 1869, stood on the site now occupied by St Joseph's. (Older sources suggested that the building completed in that year was the first part of the present church structure.) A local resident, Matthew Haddock, died in the 1870s; in his will he expressed a wish for a permanent church to be built to replace the mission chapel, and his wife donated £10,000 of bonds
Bond (finance)
In finance, a bond is a debt security, in which the authorized issuer owes the holders a debt and, depending on the terms of the bond, is obliged to pay interest to use and/or to repay the principal at a later date, termed maturity...
to fund this. Architect William Kedo Broder designed a tall stone building in accordance with Mrs Haddock's proposals, and the first part of the building—the sanctuary and part of the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
—was opened in May 1879. In 1880 the sanctuary was enlarged and the apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
was built. Before any more of Kedo Broder's designs could be realised, he was killed in January 1881, falling from a moving train.
J.S. Hansom, a member of a family of architects known for their work on Roman Catholic churches, was commissioned to continue the project. His plans were less ambitious, and by 1883 he had completed the east end of the church, which consisted of one polygonal apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
flanked by two smaller versions. The next stage, completed in 1885, included a side chapel and a south transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
, which was smaller than Hansom had intended.
The next alteration came in 1900, when another architect, Frederick Walters
Frederick Walters
Frederick Arthur Walters was a Scottish architect working in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, notable for his Roman Catholic churches.-Life:...
, was commissioned to build the west front. His plans were designed to complement the existing structure, and included a tower which was never built. The work was completed in March 1901. The final period of building work took place in 1906; this included a north transept and side chapel, and the enlargement of their counterparts on the south side. The church reopened for worship on 6 May 1906.
Only minor alterations have been made since the 1906 work: in the 1970s one of the side chapels was reconfigured in the style of the Grotto at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes or the Domain is an area of ground surrounding the shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes in the town of Lourdes, France...
in France, and the sanctuary itself was reordered. Later in the decade, the church received its official dedication after a longstanding problem with a debt had been resolved. This happened on 8 May 1979, 100 years to the month after building work began. By 1906, £15,000 (£ as of ) had been spent on construction.
Architecture
The exterior of St Joseph's Church is of two types of stone: Kentish Rag-stoneRag-stone
Rag-stone is a name given by some architectural writers to work done with stones which are quarried in thin pieces, such as the Horsham sandstone, Yorkshire stone, the slate stones, but this is more properly flag or slab work. By rag-stone, near London, is meant an excellent material from the...
(a type of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
) with dressings of Bath Stone
Bath Stone
Bath Stone is an Oolitic Limestone comprising granular fragments of calcium carbonate. Originally obtained from the Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines under Combe Down, Somerset, England, its warm, honey colouring gives the World Heritage City of Bath, England its distinctive appearance...
. The east end has three five-sided apses; the outer pair form side chapels. All three have windows with trefoil
Trefoil
Trefoil is a graphic form composed of the outline of three overlapping rings used in architecture and Christian symbolism...
designs. The entrance is at the west end in a porch with a gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d roof. The chancel has seven bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
and is separated from the nave by an intricate chancel arch. The nave has low, narrow aisles on the south and north sides. The church is very tall, and the roof is vaulted
Vault (architecture)
A Vault is an architectural term for an arched form used to provide a space with a ceiling or roof. The parts of a vault exert lateral thrust that require a counter resistance. When vaults are built underground, the ground gives all the resistance required...
; the shafts are of pale brick and stone.
The church today
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
on 19 July 1985. This status is given to "particularly important buildings of more than special interest". As of February 2001, it was one of 70 Grade II*-listed buildings and structures, and 1,218 listed buildings of all grades, in the city of Brighton and Hove.
The church is one of eleven Roman Catholic churches in the city of Brighton and Hove, and one of six in Brighton itself (there are also three in Hove
Hove
Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
and one each in Rottingdean
Rottingdean
Rottingdean is a coastal village next to the town of Brighton and technically within the city of Brighton and Hove, in East Sussex, on the south coast of England...
and Woodingdean
Woodingdean
Woodingdean is an eastern suburb of the city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, separated from the main part of the city by downland and the Brighton Racecourse.-Source of name:...
). It is responsible for the administration of St Francis of Assisi's church on the Moulsecoomb
Moulsecoomb
Moulsecoomb is a large suburb of Brighton, part of the city of Brighton and Hove. It is located on the northeastern side of Brighton, around the A270 Lewes Road, between the areas of Coldean and Bevendean and approximately 2¼ miles north of the seafront. The eastern edges of the built-up area...
estate in northeast Brighton. Originally an Anglican
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
place of worship, this was reconsecrated as a Roman Catholic church in 1953.