Christ Church

About

Christ Church is a Grade II* listed building and was consecrated by the 70th Bishop of Chichester on 29th July 1859. It was built to serve the needs of the people in the growing area to the east of the town, which had expanded greatly following the arrival of the railway to Eastbourne ten years earlier. Money to build the church was raised by Miss Julia Brodie (1814-1872) and was built on land donated by the Hon Mrs Anne Gilbert. There is a stained glass window to the memory of Julia Brodie in the chancel and the Brodie Hall is named after her, as the church's benefactress. The building was originally designed to consist of a Nave, Chancel, Side Aisles and Tower. Due to lack of funds at the time, however, only the Nave was constructed and the church took on the appearance of a huge barn. The structure was poorly built, the pillars being smaller and weaker than those designed by the architect. The roof creaked to such an extent in rough weather that the Clergyman's voice was inaudible. The South Aisle and Tower were added in 1870, but a violent storm in 1877 threatened to blow the church down, which was entirely unsupported on its north side. Work to rectify this was completed in 1879, together with a new Vestry and apsidal Chancel, resulting in the church as we see it today. The Chancel has five tall lancet Te Deum windows filled with Clayton and Bell stained glass, begun in April 1880 and completed in 1884. The central window is in memory of Queen Victoria's daughter Princess Alice, who had recently died. She worshipped at Christ Church whenever staying in Eastbourne, taking a great interest in the parish, visiting the Day and Sunday Schools and the poor in their homes. Her great-grandson, Prince Philip of Greece is married to Queen Elizabeth II. Another notable worshipper was author Lewis Carroll, who used the church during his regular visits to the town, helped with the Sunday School, and once preached from the pulpit. It is recorded in the church registers that he rented a pew solely for his top hat, so that he could be certain that it would not be accidentally sat upon during the service! The church is generally constructed of red brick, faced externally in Sussex flint with stone dressings (bathstone and Eastbourne greensand). In December 1887 the internal brickwork around the apse was considered to look too cold and was covered in painted stencil ornament by Clayton & Bell, with a bold chevron pattern in 'white and warm red'. By the 1930s tastes had changed and the stencilling was hidden behind a curtain, and it was covered over completely in 1958 when the walls were painted white in preparation for the centenary celebrations. The main addition to the church in the 20th century was the Memorial Chapel, constructed in 1922 and designed by the architect G.H.Shackle of Marlborough. The Chapel Screen to the south aisle is particularly fine and was carved by local sculptor C. Godfrey Garrard. The interior of the church has been transformed at various times in its history, most recently during a re-ordering in 2004 when the Victorian pews were removed and replaced with comfortable chairs that allows for a flexible use of the seating during services, and for concerts and recitals. The floor was re-carpeted at the same time. In 2013 there were further improvements as the Victorian heating system, which had performed valiantly for so long, was replaced with a modern and efficient system. During this re-ordering the font was moved to the north aisle, creating more space for baptisms. A new toilet for the disabled was installed at the back of the church in 2015 and an additional kitchen constructed in the base of the Tower, providing convenient facilities to prepare refreshments for daily visitors to the church, for the regular weekly coffee mornings, and for the coffee and tea served after the main Sunday morning service. Proof that in the 21st century the building continues to evolve to suit the needs of its people.

At a glance

• Typical visit: about 30 minutes