Chapel Of St Josephs Convent

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