History of Patcham Methodist Church
Patcham is approximately 3 miles inland, on the northern edge of the City of Brighton and Hove. Until the 1920s, Patcham was a small village, with mainly agricultural land but during the 1920s and 30s much of this was purchased by developers and a large number of houses and bungalows built.
In 1933, a small group of Methodists began to meet for worship in their homes and later leased the drove barn for £2 per week, the first service being held there at Easter in 1935. The barn was purchased in June 1936 for £3,000.
The building pre 1967
This building was used until 1967, when the condition became so bad that the only option was to demolish it. A new church building was begun, with the foundation stone being laid in April 1968 and the opening ceremony held on March 15th 1969.
Development has continued, including a new roof built over the top of the pitched and flat roofs. These remained underneath the new structure and were removed during the final phase, which was completed in 2002. During this redevelopment, the interior of the sanctuary was refurbished, and new rooms (the Upper Room and the Youth Room) were created as a 'loft conversion'. Much of this work was carried out by members and friends of the church, with professionals being brought in where specialist skills or equipment were required.
The Drove Barn during construction of the Houses in Patcham
The barn was around 500 years old and is reputed to have been built using timbers from ships of the Spanish Armada, which were wrecked along the coastline. The barn was originally used for animals being driven along the old drove road along the downs.
Inside the Barn
View of the new 1968 church building