St Mary the Virgin, Brighton

St Mary the Virgin stands in Kemptown, a district of Brighton and Hove. The present red-brick church was built in the late 1870s after the earlier building collapsed during renovation. Its Gothic style mixes Early English and French revival elements. The church is now a Grade II* listed building and remains in regular use. The church’s history reflects Brighton’s growth in the early 19th century. Wealthy residents funded proprietary chapels, including the original St Mary’s in the 1820s. The Elliott family, linked to the Clapham Sect, played a key role in its early years. The building later became a parish church in 1873 before collapsing in 1876. A new church was designed by Sir William Emerson and completed in 1878. Inside, the church features a long nave, transepts, a pentagonal apse and a semicircular baptistery. The red-brick exterior includes sandstone and terracotta details. The nave has two levels, with the higher level forming the baptistery. The surrounding parish covers land behind the seafront and east of the city centre.