St Nicholas' Church, Brighton
| St. Nicholas of Myra, Brighton | |
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View of St Nicholas Church from the churchyard
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| 50°49′31.29″N 0°8′41.47″W / 50.8253583°N 0.1448528°WCoordinates: 50°49′31.29″N 0°8′41.47″W / 50.8253583°N 0.1448528°W | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Affirming Catholic |
| Website | St. Nicholas, Brighton |
| History | |
| Dedication | St. Nicholas of Myra |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Brighton, St Nicholas |
| Deanery | Brighton |
| Archdeaconry | Chichester |
| Diocese | Chichester |
| Province | Canterbury |
| Clergy | |
| Vicar(s) | Revd Robert Chavners, TSSF |
| Assistant priest(s) | Revd Canon Robin Protheroe, Revd Robert Easton, Revd Christopher McDermott, Revd Anthony Ball |
| Laity | |
| Organist(s) | Dominic Desouza |
| Churchwarden(s) | Josephine Baker, Pauline Messum |
The Church of Saint Nicholas of Myra, usually known as St. Nicholas Church, is an Anglican church in Brighton, England. It is both the original parish church of Brighton and the oldest surviving building in Brighton. It is located on high ground at the junction of Church Street and Dyke Road in the city centre, very close to the main shopping areas. Due to its architectural significance the church is a Grade II* listed building.
The Domesday Book of 1086 records the presence of a church, valued at £12, in what was then the small fishing village of Bristelmestune. Shortly afterwards, it was granted to the Cluniac priory in nearby Lewes. Although there is no certainty over where this church was located, it is possible that it stood on the site of the present-day St. Nicholas church: although Bristelmestune was located some distance to the south immediately adjacent to the coast, the ground there was marshy and suffered from erosion, and was vulnerable to attacks from invaders. The higher ground of the hill where the present church stands would have been better strategically and defensively, as well as being highly visible to residents of the village and the fishermen at sea.
In its current form, St. Nicholas church dates from the mid-14th century, although the tower that was built at that time used some stones of Norman origin, which may have come from the original church. Also, a font from that period is preserved within the church. It was carved in around 1170 in Caen Stone, and in 2001 was relocated to a prominent position at the west end of the church - the latest of several moves over the centuries.
The church, as originally constructed in the 14th century, consists of a substantial tower at the west end, a chancel and an aisled nave. Early additions include a chantry, dating from the 15th century; these additional chapels were relatively common at that time.
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