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Church of the Week

Brighton, Sussex

Brighton Unitarian Church in Sussex, our Church of the Week, is a stone’s throw from the Royal Pavilion and intimately connected with Brighton’s Regency history. Built in 1820, this Grade II Listed building stands on land that was once part of the Pavilion’s grounds, and was sold by the Prince Regent (later George IV) to the congregation in 1819 as part of a larger sale of land he owned in Brighton, probably to raise cash to help fund his famously lavish lifestyle. At the time, thanks to the Prince Regent’s patronage, Brighton was rapidly growing from a small seaside town into a busy and fashionable destination. The city’s Unitarian congregation was growing at the same time – from 19 people in 1793, by the time the land was purchased they were a community of 350 people. The church’s long-term future came under threat after damage from the Great Storm in 1987, and further deterioration afterward. Major repairs took place in 2004, and in 2018 they raised funds – including through a repair grant from the National Churches Trust – to make repairs to the front steps and portico. Today, Brighton Unitarian is a lively space in the heart of Brighton, hosting everything from lunchtime concerts to Scottish Country Dancing, as well as services every Sunday.

View Brighton Unitarian Church