St John the Baptist's Church, Hove

St John the Baptist’s Church stands in Hove, a seaside district of Brighton and Hove. Built between 1852 and 1854, it serves the former Brunswick estate, planned in the 1830s on land once known as Wick Farm. The church was commissioned because Brunswick Town lacked a nearby place of worship. Sir Isaac Lyon Goldsmid donated the site near what would become Palmeira Square. Funds came from borrowings, private gifts and a grant, totalling £4,500. The Bishop of Chichester consecrated the building on 24 June 1854. The church was designed by architects William and Edward Habershon in Decorated Gothic style. Their plan used flint and stone dressings, creating a cruciform shape with a tower at the east end. The spire was added around 1870, raising the height to 160 ft. Lancet windows feature tracery in the same style. A west porch was added in 1906–07 by Rogers, Bone & Cole. In 1983 the building was recognised as Grade II listed, placing it among 1,124 such sites in the city. Inside, the church holds two Sunday Eucharist services. A weekly Holy Communion follows the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. Monthly Celtic Communion services and a film discussion group also take place. Children’s activities and Sunday school provide further programmes. The Grade II listing confirms the church’s national importance and special interest.