Building Opinions: French Reformed Church

I introduced my recent column on 12 Richmond Terrace as the former residence of the owners of “one of Brighton’s best homes”.

The home in question was the French Reformed Church, just off the seafront on Queensbury Mews between the Hilton Brighton Metropole and Regency Square.

It was completed in 1887, three years before the Metropole. Haydn Hughes and his partner bought the building in May 2009. I’ve been aware of their meticulous renovation work on it for some time, but I only recently found out about the building’s time capsule.

About a month ago, three crumbling Portland stone tablets lined the west side of the building, their inscriptions unclear.

Chris Pellett, of Albourne Stone, was responsible for their restoration, which involved carefully slicing off and replacing the first 3in of stone on the three tablets, each of which turned out to be 12in thick!

The middle tablet encompassed the time capsule, which was unearthed during the works. It turned out to be a glass jar containing a number of items, including the congregation’s 1886 annual report, some headed notepaper, a publicity leaflet, a silver shilling from 1887 and a copy of the Sussex Daily News.

Hughes replaced the time capsule in its rightful spot after adding a few new photographs for whoever next uncovers it.

The stone tablets now clearly mention five individuals who played a part in the construction of the church, including Mrs E Hayes, who raised funds for the building work, and JG Gibbins, who was the architect.

The French Reformed Church can trace its origins back to Deryck Carver, a French-speaking Flemish man who sought refuge in Brighton in 1548. He was burnt at the stake in 1555 for his Calvinist beliefs.

The church was originally bordered by Mr Clark’s stable and Mr Mocatto’s stable, but it is now completely detached, with a whole block to itself.

It is special for many other reasons, though, including its unique history, excellent condition and enviable location. English Heritage seems to share that view and is in the process of assessing the building for listing. Grade II status seems the most likely outcome.

While listed status does bring with it hassle in the form of more forms to fill out, it also is something to be proud of. And proud of their work the owners of this fine structure should be.

Get in touch: robert@buildingopinions.com or www.buildingopinions.com