Church Of St John The Evangelist

BRIGHTON

TQ3006 PRESTON ROAD, Preston 577-1/12/1044 (East side) Church of St John the Evangelist

II

Anglican church. The nave of 1901-2 , the chancel of 1926. Nave designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield and Sons, and built by James Longley; chancel added in 1926. Rock-faced stone with stone dressings, roof of tiles. Chancel, nave, north and south aisles, north-east vestry. EXTERIOR: east window of 3 lights with geometrical tracery and 3 louvred lancets above; 2 lancets to north of chancel, 4 to south; north and south aisles have ten lancets in pairs between shallow buttresses and a parapet swept up and interrupted over the buttresses; clerestories likewise ten lancets in pairs with hoodmoulds linked by string; the west end has flat-arched entrances to north and south aisles under a pointed-arched moulding, the tympanum and angles of the moulding filled with panels of foliage embracing crowns, with a Y-traceried window above; the nave extends in the form of deep buttresses embracing a narthex; side entrances pierce the buttresses in the form of flat arches under a pointed arch with glazed tympanum; the baptistery is rectangular in plan, with parapet; the west end has a 2-light window with a cinquefoil above, and 2 outer lancets; stepped louvred lancets to apex, fleche of wood and lead at meeting of nave and chancel. North-east vestry with one pointed-arched and 2 flat-arched entrances,and one 3-light trefoiled window; organ chamber above. INTERIOR: east window flanked by a pointed-arched panel on either side, sedilia to south with simplified mouldings; vault-shafts to the side walls decorated with bosses of foliage; 2-bay arcade to south, now closed, organ chamber to north; elaborate carved reredos of stone with 3 panels, the central panel higher and depicting the Ascension; choir stalls probably of a date with the chancel; terrazzo work to chancel floor; simple chancel screen; multi-moulded chancel arch set just below roof. Nave of 5-and-a-quarter bays with roll-moulded capitals and pointed arches having a chamfer and inner order; moulded sill band to clerestory windows; 3-bay arcade to narthex and baptistery, the font set back in a top-lit space under a broad segmental arch. Nave and chancel are virtually under one roof with a 5-sided vault with panelled ribs and panelling. Polygonal pulpit decorated with elaborate Gothic work including engaged colonnettes of green marble, all on a base of clustered columns; font of white marble in the form of an angel holding a shell, by J Whitehead. Original wrought-iron brackets and pendant ford electroliers to nave. (Carder T: The Encyclopaedia of Brighton: Lewes: 1990-).

Listing NGR: TQ3026906617