Brighton and Hove – St Peter, Fishersgate, Portslade

A combined school and mission church by A Loader was opened in 1880 (BN 39 p777), in the parish of Southwick as it then was.  The lowest tender was for £895 (BA 12 (12 December 1879) p x), so it was modest and it is only known that it was built of brick.  However, a reference in 1903 to an iron church (WSRO Par 181/4/2) implies there was a second one in the district.

A parish was established in 1931 which appears to have been centred on the iron church rather than the brick one, which was possibly no longer in use.  L K Hett replaced the iron church by a further brick one, which was consecrated in 1938 (ibid).  The previous year its cost was estimated at about £7000 (CDG 18 p341).  The new church has low flat-roofed aisles, a clerestory and a squat north tower topped by a tiled pyramid.  As so often with Hett’s work, the bell-openings are horizontal in emphasis and the lower stage contains large round-headed windows like those in the rest of the church.  The interior is a single space with low elliptical arcades and exposed, complex roof timbers.  There is little obeisance to historicism and, though bland in style, it is well planned.

The church was made redundant in 2008 and has been converted for use for community purposes.

Fitting

Font: J Cribb, 1938 (ibid)

My thanks to Josie Campbell for the photographs

Category: