Description

HOVE

TQ20NE HOLMES AVENUE, West Blatchington
579-1/3/177 (East side)
Bishop Hannington Memorial Church

II

Parish church. 1938-9 by Edward Maufe. Day centre addition
1970s.
Brown brick laid in stretcher bond, stepped brick cornice,
hipped panile roofs, flat roof to day centre, pyramid roof to
tower.
Plan: chancel, north-east organ bay, south-east Lady chapel,
tower over crossing, 5-and-a-half bay nave with low
single-storey aisles, west end gallery and entrance; day
centre addition on north front in similar style.
Tall 3-stage tower with 2 and three 4-centred arch openings
with wooden louvres to bell-stage, double doors on to
wrought-iron balcony on north front of second stage, entrance
to north aisle and nave via day centre addition which masks
much of north front. 5 pointed arch metal windows with divided
tracery lighting nave, similar on south front, west end with
recessed pointed arch opening with ornamental brickwork. West
window, west door flanked by small 2-light windows, double
doors with painted lead lintel inscribed "In this place I will
give peace saith the Lord". Datestone to left of entrance
inscribed "To the Glory of God this stone was laid by the Lord
Bishop of Chichester the 26th day of November 1938 in memory
of James Hannington 1st Bishop of East Equitorial Africa".
Above it is a smaller stone with a martyr's crown in relief
and the words "29 Oct 1885 Uganda". South front with low
single storey aisle with 2-light windows.
Interior: roughcast. Unmoulded 4-centred chancel arch. Pitched
roof to centre of nave rising from flat ceiling with square
cross-shaped panels thought to be for ventilation, exposed
acoustic panels between between pale blue stained wooden
rafter and purlin roof stencilled in silver with motifs
representing the bishop-martyr's crown, stars and wavey lines
for the sea. Chancel roof rendered with painted panels forming
a 'tester' over the altar table. Original light fittings of
paper or cloth in the form of a martyr's crown. West gallery
with exposed acoustic panels. Identical pulpit-podiums of
sculptural simplicity at east end of nave. Unmoulded pointed
arch openings to aisle bays, also to aisle window recesses and
supporting the flat roof of the aisle.
Chancel floor of travertine marble, nave of Sussex beech cut
on the quarter. East end wall with large tempera painting by
Augustus Lunn, the result of a competition, representing
Christ preparing his followers to preach the gospel. Bishop
Hannington, to whom the church is dedicated, was murdered by
Masai tribesmen in 1885 while on his journey to Uganda to set
up the first bishopric of East Equatorial Africa; hence the
frequent use of the martyr's crown motif.
A simple and gracious interior with some good detailing,
including brasswork to doors and star-shaped window catches in
the Lady Chapel, by Maufe, who was concurrently engaged on
designs for Guildford Cathedral.

Listing NGR: TQ2773606371

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Bishop Hannington Memorial Church at Wikipedia
• Bishop Hannington Memorial Church official website
• Wikidata Q4917579

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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