Finally

Arts and Crafts

I finally saw the inside of St. Michael and All Angels Church in the heart of Brighton. I’d passed by it several times in the past; a few times when the rest of the family was shopping and also last Sunday when I drove there with a good friend after our planned walk on the South Downs fell through.

Each time the church was closed. But on my visit last weekend I saw that a mass was scheduled for Friday morning. I was dubious this was possible in a closed church but it turned out to be true. After a struggle paying for parking —not an easy thing to do in Brighton—I walked into the church at eleven o’clock sharp.

The church was open. For a moment, I thought Mass had been canceled, but a few people were sitting on pews in a side chapel. My daughter and I joined them. Eventually, a full service—thankfully, without a sermon—was quickly delivered.

Afterwards, the pastor came by to introduce himself. No, we weren’t new members. I honestly confessed that I’d taken advantage of the Mass to see the church from the inside. “It really is a beautiful church,” the pastor agreed. Incidentally, it’s also one of the coldest churches in the country. That’s why we up the tempo for the services a bit.

In Sussex, and indeed throughout England, you’ll stumble across medieval churches and chapels. Not so with St. Michael’s. It’s a Neo-Gothic church. What makes it so special is that it’s the first church where William Morris applied his Arts and Crafts philosophy to a church. This is evident in a wealth of beautiful paintings, numerous stunning stained-glass windows, and a Stations of the Cross that, in my humble opinion, is among the finest in the entire country.

The vicar says his favourite windows are on the south side of the church. They’re by Edward Burne-Jones and depict the Flight into Egypt. Despite the miserable weather, they’re worth examining in detail. The donkey, as friendly as can be, is especially worth a look.

I always keep the book England’s Thousand Best Churches in my car, According to Simon Jenkins, St. Michael’s is the most beautiful church in Sussex. For the first time I realise that this southern county could be translated as “Lower Saxony.” Jenkins goes further and also ranks the church among the hundred most beautiful churches in all of England.

I’m not sure. There are so many intimate, older churches around here that I prefer. Still, I’m glad to have finally seen the inside of this church. I’m afraid it will be my only visit.