Brighton and Hove – St Mary Magdalene, Bread Street

St Mary Magdalene, the first church built and paid for by A D Wagner himself, served the crowded area between North Road and Church Street as a mission chapel.  Opened in 1862 and costing £2500 (Maughan p41) the architect was G F Bodley (B 20 p771), but it differed greatly from his other Brighton church, St Michael.  It was seen as temporary (ibid) – a modest brick building without a tower, whitewashed inside with wooden posts supporting the roof and creating aisles.  It resembled Wagner’s later church of the Annunciation, which may have been based on it.  Goodhart-Rendel calls it ‘a sort of holy shed ’ (AR 44 p59).  There is no record of the fittings.

It was never enlarged nor was it parochial.  This is hardly surprising as there were several other churches within a short distance.  By 1929 it was little used and Brighton Toc H (CDG 1929 p351) acquired it.  However, it was closed in 1948 and pulled down.

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St Mary Magdalene, the first church built and paid for by A D Wagner himself, served the crowded area between North Road and Church Street as a mission chapel.  Opened in 1862 and costing £2500 (Maughan p41) the architect was G F Bodley (B 20 p771), but it differed greatly from his other Brighton church, St Michael.  It was seen as temporary (ibid) – a modest brick building without a tower, whitewashed inside with wooden posts supporting the roof and creating aisles.  It resembled Wagner’s later church of the Annunciation, which may have been based on it.  Goodhart-Rendel calls it ‘a sort of holy shed ’ (AR 44 p59).  There is no record of the fittings.

It was never enlarged nor was it parochial.  This is hardly surprising as there were several other churches within a short distance.  By 1929 it was little used and Brighton Toc H (CDG 1929 p351) acquired it.  However, it was closed in 1948 and pulled down.