Commemorative plaque at St Andrew's, Hove
Set back from the seafront in Hove, the Italian Renaissance style and symmetry of St Andrew’s perfectly matches the nearby squares and terraces. The church was built in 1827 to the designs of the famous architect, Sir Charles Barry and served wealthy society who owned fashionable new terraced mansions by the sea. Past worshipers at the church have included Dukes and Duchesses and even Queen Victoria. As well as St Andrew’s, Barry designed parts of the Royal Sussex County Hospital and St Peter's Church in York Place, Brighton before going on to design the Houses of Parliament.
On 8th November, a special ceremony took place outside the church with local representatives and members of CCT staff to unveil a commemorative plaque to Sir Charles Barry. Averil Older, chair of the city's Commemorative Plaque Panel and former chair of the Friends of St Andrew’s said ""Charles Barry was an architect who 'cut his teeth' in Brighton and Hove before designing the Houses of Parliament. Although the Grade I listed church is plain on the outside, inside there are some real treasures, including some brass plaques to soldiers of the First World War. I would also like to pay tribute to the Friends of St Andrews Church who raised the funds for the blue plaque.”
By the late 1980s, this once fashionable church was no longer needed for regular worship and in 1991 was vested with The CCT. The church is now open for visitors to explore and enjoy and used as a venue for local choirs and other events.