Stanmer Church
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Stanmer Church is a former
Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
church in
Stanmer Stanmer is a small village on the eastern outskirts of Brighton, in East Sussex, England. History The etymological root of the name is "Stony Mere", Old English for "stone pond", referring to the sarsen stones around Stanmer village pond. The ...
village, on the northeastern edge of the
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
city of
Brighton and Hove Brighton and Hove () is a city and unitary authority in East Sussex, England. It consists primarily of the settlements of Brighton and Hove, alongside neighbouring villages. Often referred to synonymously as Brighton, the City of Brighton and H ...
. The ancient village stands within
Stanmer Park Stanmer Park is a large public park immediately to the west of the University of Sussex, and to the north-east of the city of Brighton in the county of East Sussex, England, United Kingdom, UK. It is a Local Nature Reserve and English Heritage, un ...
, the former private estate of the
Earl of Chichester Earl of Chichester is a title that has been created three times, twice in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The current title was created in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1801 for Thomas Pelham, 2nd Ba ...
, which the Brighton Corporation (the predecessor of the present city council) acquired for the benefit of Brighton's citizens after the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. The church and a
stately home An English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a town house. This allowed them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these peopl ...
,
Stanmer House Stanmer House is a Grade I listed mansion set in Stanmer Park west of the village of Falmer and north-east of the city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England. The house stands close to Stanmer village and Church, within Stanmer Park. Cons ...
, stand outside the village but within the park's boundaries. The church, which was declared redundant in 2008, has been
listed Listed may refer to: * Listed, Bornholm, a fishing village on the Danish island of Bornholm * Listed (MMM program), a television show on MuchMoreMusic * Endangered species in biology * Listed building, in architecture, designation of a historicall ...
at Grade II by
English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses. The charity states that i ...
for its architectural and historical importance.


History

Stanmer's recorded history goes back to 765, when the village and its lands were given to the South Malling
monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...
in nearby
Lewes Lewes () is the county town of East Sussex, England. It is the police and judicial centre for all of Sussex and is home to Sussex Police, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, Lewes Crown Court and HMP Lewes. The civil parish is the centre of ...
by the
King of Sussex The list of monarchs of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Sussex (or South Saxons) contains substantial gaps, as the chronological details relating to Sussex during the heptarchy is generally poorly documented. No authentic South Saxon king list or gen ...
. The village belonged to the Church for several centuries thereafter, being part of the
Episcopal See An episcopal see is, in a practical use of the phrase, the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, mak ...
of
Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...
by the time of the
Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
. Ownership transferred from the
Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Justi ...
to
King Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disag ...
during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. A church was built in the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
; records of it go back to 1232. It stood on open land outside the village. It had no known
dedication Dedication is the act of consecrating an altar, temple, church, or other sacred building. Feast of Dedication The Feast of Dedication, today Hanukkah, once also called "Feast of the Maccabees," is a Jewish festival observed for eight days fr ...
, little is known about the building, and the only remnants from the era are some
yew tree Yew is a common name given to various species of trees. It is most prominently given to any of various coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Taxus'': * European yew or common yew (''Taxus baccata'') * Pacific yew or western yew (''Taxus b ...
s in the churchyard and several memorial tablets and tombstones. The church and its associated land were returned to the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1555, not long after the Dissolution. The Pelham family began a long association with the village and church in the 16th century; they took ownership of the whole estate and its lands in the early 18th century. The Grade I-listed
Stanmer House Stanmer House is a Grade I listed mansion set in Stanmer Park west of the village of Falmer and north-east of the city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England. The house stands close to Stanmer village and Church, within Stanmer Park. Cons ...
was built for them in 1722, and the family became an
earldom Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...
in 1801 when Thomas Pelham had the title
Earl of Chichester Earl of Chichester is a title that has been created three times, twice in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The current title was created in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1801 for Thomas Pelham, 2nd Ba ...
bestowed upon him. The Earls demolished the houses and buildings of the old village and created an "estate village" north-east of the church. In 1838, the third Earl of Chichester, Henry Thomas Pelham, decided to demolish the old church and build a new one on the same site. The architect was probably Ralph Joanes of Lansdowne Place, Lewes. The building is always referred to simply as "Stanmer Church". The Brighton Corporation bought the Stanmer Estate in 1947 as part of its policy of land acquisition, and in 1952 the boundary of the Borough of Brighton was extended to incorporate the parish. The
Diocese of Chichester The Diocese of Chichester is a Church of England diocese based in Chichester, covering Sussex. It was founded in 681 as the ancient Diocese of Selsey, which was based at Selsey Abbey, until the see was translated to Chichester in 1075. The cathe ...
declared the church redundant from 29 December 2008, meaning it was no longer open for regular public worship. Stanmer Preservation Society maintains the building and opens it every Sunday. It also opens for specials events such as guest speakers and concerts. In the early 1990s, an episode of
Mr. Bean ''Mr. Bean'' is a British sitcom created by Rowan Atkinson and Richard Curtis, produced by Tiger Aspect and starring Atkinson as the title character. The sitcom consists of 15 episodes that were co-written by Atkinson alongside Curtis and R ...
was filmed here.


Architecture

Stanmer Church is in the Early English style. It has a simple
cruciform Cruciform is a term for physical manifestations resembling a common cross or Christian cross. The label can be extended to architectural shapes, biology, art, and design. Cruciform architectural plan Christian churches are commonly described ...
layout, with a
chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse. Ove ...
,
nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
, north and south
transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building withi ...
s and a tower at the west end topped with a thin shingled
spire A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spires are ...
. An entrance porch is incorporated within the ground floor of the tower. A peal of bells cast in 1791 are housed within the tower. Knapped flintwork was used to build the exterior, although the structural quoins are of stone. The church has a slate roof. Inside, stone walls and carved wooden fittings predominate. Jude Jones, the designated carpenter and estate foreman of the Earls of Chichester and also an active member of the church in the 19th century, designed and constructed all the wooden fixtures. The
chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse. Ove ...
roof is panelled and has moulded
rib vault A rib vault or ribbed vault is an architectural feature for covering a wide space, such as a church nave, composed of a framework of crossed or diagonal arched ribs. Variations were used in Roman architecture, Byzantine architecture, Islamic ...
s and intricately decorated ceiling bosses. The nave roof of four bays also has
trefoil A trefoil () is a graphic form composed of the outline of three overlapping rings, used in architecture and Christian symbolism, among other areas. The term is also applied to other symbols with a threefold shape. A similar shape with four rin ...
-headed panelling. A gallery at the west end houses an organ built in 1839. A plastered stone
reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular architecture, for ex ...
, also with trefoil-headed panels, dates from the mid-19th century. It is flanked by panels depicting the
Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments (Biblical Hebrew עשרת הדברים \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים, ''aséret ha-dvarím'', lit. The Decalogue, The Ten Words, cf. Mishnaic Hebrew עשרת הדיברות \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְ ...
, designed by Jones. He was also responsible for the
pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, access ...
,
altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...
and
lectern A lectern is a reading desk with a slanted top, on which documents or books are placed as support for reading aloud, as in a scripture reading, lecture, or sermon. A lectern is usually attached to a stand or affixed to some other form of support. ...
. His son, Francis Jude Jones, succeeded him in his roles in the Stanmer Estate and was also a capable carpenter, designing a new set of entrance doors as a memorial to the 7th Earl of Chichester. Five memorial tablets and stones were moved from the old church. The oldest non-Pelham memorial dates from 1626, and commemorates Deborah Goffe, the mother of
William Goffe Major-General William Goffe, in or before 1618 to , was an English religious radical and soldier who fought for Parliament in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and served in the New Model Army. A close associate and supporter of Oliver Cromwell, h ...
(one of the judges at the trial of King Charles I). Another commemorates Sir John Pelham, his wife and their son, all of whom died in the 16th century. They are shown kneeling below the family coat of arms. Other memorials to the Pelhams are housed in the south transept.


Churchyard

The churchyard contains an unusual
wellhouse Wellhouse is a residential neighbourhood in the East End of the Scottish city of Glasgow. Since 2007 it has been part of the Baillieston administrative ward within the Glasgow City Council area. Location and history Wellhouse consists primarily ...
, rebuilt at the same time as the church, with a rare vertically mounted donkey-wheel dating from the 18th century or possibly earlier. Donkey-wheels are a smaller version of the more common horse-gin. The animal walks a circular path around the well, turns a wheel attached to a pump, and thereby draws water from the ground. Before mechanical power was available, horse or donkey power was sometimes used in areas where
aquifer An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing, permeable rock, rock fractures, or unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, or silt). Groundwater from aquifers can be extracted using a water well. Aquifers vary greatly in their characterist ...
s lay a long way below the surface; this was the case on the
chalk Chalk is a soft, white, porous, sedimentary carbonate rock. It is a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite and originally formed deep under the sea by the compression of microscopic plankton that had settled to the sea floor. Chalk ...
y South Downs, and both types of wheel were common in
Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...
in the 18th century. By 1968, however, only three donkey-wheels and five horse-gins survived. The wellhouse was damaged by a falling tree in 2007 but was repaired by Stanmer Preservation Society. Several members of the Pelham family are buried in the churchyard, mostly on the south side of the church. The churchyard's sole CWGC registered war grave is to the 8th Earl of Chichester, Captain
Scots Guards The Scots Guards (SG) is one of the five Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. Its origins are as the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland. Its lineage can be traced back to 1642, although it was only placed on the ...
, who was killed in a road accident in 1944.


The church today

Stanmer Church was
listed Listed may refer to: * Listed, Bornholm, a fishing village on the Danish island of Bornholm * Listed (MMM program), a television show on MuchMoreMusic * Endangered species in biology * Listed building, in architecture, designation of a historicall ...
at Grade II on 2 November 1954. The wellhouse has a separate listing, also at Grade II; this was granted on the same date. Stanmer Church remains within the joint parish of Stanmer and Falmer. The church at Falmer is dedicated to St Laurence, but it lies across the border in the adjoining
local government district The districts of England (also known as local authority districts or local government districts to distinguish from unofficial city districts) are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. As the st ...
of
Lewes Lewes () is the county town of East Sussex, England. It is the police and judicial centre for all of Sussex and is home to Sussex Police, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, Lewes Crown Court and HMP Lewes. The civil parish is the centre of ...
rather than in the city of Brighton and Hove. Th
parish
covers a mostly rural area, including Stanmer and
Falmer Falmer is a small village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England, lying between Brighton and Lewes, approximately five miles (8 km) north-east of the former. It is also the site of Brighton & Hove Albion's Falmer ...
villages, the main campuses of the Universities of
Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...
and
Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
, and the Falmer–Woodingdean road ( B2123) to the edge of the
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. The name Woodingdean came from Woodendean (i.e. wooded valley) Farm which was situ ...
estate. It also extends some way on to the southern face of the
South Downs The South Downs are a range of chalk hills that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, in the Eastbourne Downland Estate, East Sussex, in the east. ...
. The parish priest had responsibility for the
chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a hosp ...
cies of the two universities. Until its closure, there was a weekly service on Sunday evenings, and prayer sessions twice a month. Although no longer used for religious ceremonies, it is still opened by Stanmer Preservation Society every Sunday.


See also

* Grade II listed buildings in Brighton and Hove: S *
List of places of worship in Brighton and Hove The city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England, has more than 100 extant churches and other places of worship, which serve a variety of Christian denominations and other religions. More than 50 former religious buildings, althou ...


Notes


References


Bibliography

* * *


External links

*
Stanmer Preservation Society
{{B&H Buildings Grade II listed churches in East Sussex Churches completed in 1838 19th-century Church of England church buildings Former churches in Brighton and Hove Grade II listed buildings in Brighton and Hove Church of England church buildings in Brighton and Hove