Description

BRIGHTON

TQ3203NW BRISTOL ROAD
577-1/48/81 (North side)
14/04/88 Chapel of St Joseph's Convent

II

Convent chapel. 1892. By Charles Alban Buckler. Built to the
rear of No.4 Bristol Road (qv). Brick with stone dressings and
window tracery. Gable ends with kneelers and coping; gable
crosses. Rectangular in plan, with ritual east-west axis
oriented north-south. Chancel and nave under roof of 5 bays.
Gothic Revival style. At the time of inspection the church is
undergoing extensive restoration.
INTERIOR: all the lower sections of the wall are removed, as
well as pointed-arch niches flanking former altar, which has
been removed to upper reaches of ritual west wall, described
below. Each roof truss consists of paired rafters cut to
resemble a pointed diaphragm arch which spring from plain
corbels; an anthemion and palmette cornice forms a springing
band for the boarded, pointed barrel vault. This cornice may
have been copied from the cornice of the staircase hall of
No.4. Gallery in the upper level of the west end, which may
have been a visitors' gallery. Triple east window, each light
with a trefoiled head with 3 trefoils above. One window for
each bay of the roof to the ritual south wall: double light
window, each light trefoiled with trefoil roundel in the head;
sill band links all windows. Similar windows to ritual north
wall to first 3 bays from ritual east; in the fifth bay a
segmental, pointed-arch window. Stained glass by Hardman. The
original altar has been removed, the reredos refixed to the
upper reaches of the west wall: plaster and alabaster carved
with quatrefoils, those to sides with praying angels; in the
centre a representation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Christ
with the body of a dying man between them. The reredos has an
inscription indicating that it was a memorial to JE Windham
and his family: "Tu quidem gressus meos dinum erasti sed parce
peccati meis, memento Jacobi Edmondson Windham and
propinquorum in Xto. Dormientum". The statues of St Mary and
St Joseph which flanked the altar are nowhere to be seen. The
sexfoil-shaped piscina shelf also recorded previously is not
on view, but may be covered over. The narthex is formed from
the front parlour of No.4 Bristol Road and is included in that
listing.
HISTORICAL NOTE: built as the convent chapel for the Sisters
of Mercy, founded in June 1852 at Egremont Place. The Convent
moved to a house opposite the church and then, in 1858, to
Bristol Lodge. A cell block and refectory were added by
Buckler in 1864-66; these were demolished c1990.
(Carder T: The Encyclopaedia of Brighton: Lewes: 1990-: 23).

Listing NGR: TQ3213903873

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26660244

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Huddersfield in 50 Buildings
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)