Methodist Church, London Road, Brighton, Sussex - 2nd February 2005 & 19th May 2006

This church was erected in 1894 and designed by James Weir (F.R.I.B.A) of London, originally in red brick.  The chapel opened on 21st February 1895.  In 1910 the building was extended forward and a new Renaissance facade and a low tower on the north side of the pediment were added.

Here is a rather poor reproduction of an image of the church in 1900 displayed in the building (2006).  The original building aspect was significantly more attractive than what is there today!

Here is the frontage in 2005.  The central windows as shown on the above picture are still visible from inside the building as are filled in reveals for the windows at the sides, so the replacement frontage must have been build several feet forward to allow for a vestibule to be created.

The original church was free renaissance in style, although the facade was drastically remodelled again in about 1938 using cement render sweeping away the 1910 frontage.

Once I heard this church was to close, I revisited on the 19th May in order to photograph the interior. 

The plaque over the right hand door is in memory of the Rev. William Dinnick "for 41 years a faithful minister of the Primitive Methodist Connexion and for 25 years the devoted Superintendent of the Brighton Circuit, who entered into rest 21st January 1901, aged 60 years."

Here is the organ behind the pulpit.  The lady showing me around asked me if I would like the organ - had we had somewhere to accommodate it I may have said yes!  The original organ, installed in 1898 was hand blown.  The instrument shown here was relocated from the Methodist Church in Goldstone Villas when it closed in 1933 and is a Classic by Holdich, built c.1890.  The first recital following relocation was given by Mr E Barnes on Sunday evening, 2nd July 1934.   The communion rail was a gift from the redundant St Margaret's Church, Cannon Place in 1958.

Here is a view of the auditorium looking towards the front of the building facing London Road.  The original windows mentioned above are clearly visible.

Digital photographs

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