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Greek Orthodox Church

Photo:Shelley Holland

Shelley Holland

Photo:Greek Orthodox Church, Carlton Hill

Greek Orthodox Church, Carlton Hill

An exotic building!
By Shelley Holland

"I love this building because it is so at odds with everything around it. It is so huge, so imposing, an oasis of gothic-ness, tucked away behind the Amex building, surrounded by busy roads, a noisy school, and a bustling estate.

"It reminds me of exotic locations I visited as a small child when, as a family, we visited my Italian grandparents in the mountains of the Piedmont region. It was barren and Mediterranean and big. Very, very big. Especially to the eyes of a three-year-old.

"And that's what hits me when I look at the Greek Orthodox Church. It's huge-ness. It's foreign-ness. It's beautiful-ness in the midst of ordinary-ness. And the fact that the clock has said 12:34 for as long as I can remember."

submitted to website in June 2000
This page was added on 22/03/2006.

Comments:

Good to see the Orthodox Church in Brighton included.
By Anonymous (27/04/2003)
The Greek Orthodox Church was built as an Anglican building of worship. St. John's Carlton Hill faithfully served the local community, a poor area, until its closure about fifteen years ago. It was designed by a local architect called Cheeseman and opened in about the 1830s. The facade was altered after the Second World War when the emblems of St John (the eagle), the Virgin Mary (a crowned 'M') and the figure of the crucified Christ were added. St. John's contained an organ which was believed to contain pipes from the organ in the Pavilion or Chapel Royal. They were stored when the church closed and (on my suggestion!) were used in the new organ built by Patrick Christian for Falmer Parish Church. A painting which was over the altar went to the Chapel Royal in North Street but seems to have disappeared. St. John's was supported financially for many years by All Saints' Hove and Brighton College.
By Michael Maine (05/11/2003)

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