Adam Trimingham tells us all about the history of St Nicholas Church:

The Duke of Wellington unexpectedly came to the aid of St Nicholas, the mother church of Brighton, when he died in 1852.

St Nicholas had become far too small to serve as the parish church when the town rapidly expanded and the old building needed to become bigger.

But year after year plans to renovate it were rejected at town meetings because people refused to pay the extra rates.

The impasse was ended when the Vicar, the Rev Henry Wagner, suggested that restoration would be a suitable memorial to the duke.

Wellington had worshipped at St Nicholas when as a boy he had been tutored in the town. At the time of his death he was a national hero having been prime minister but more importantly the victor over Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo.

This was accepted by the town and almost £5,000 was raised by public subscription, enough to undertake improvements. The Vicar himself, who was exceedingly rich, contributed £1,000.

The church dated back to Norman times and was built on a low hill off Dyke Road. It was dedicated to the patron saint of fishermen.

Not much remains of the Norman church although there is still a magnificent font from that period carved from a single block of stone. No one knows its history but it may be even older than the church.

Because of its elevated position, St Nicholas survived the two attacks by French warships which devastated low-lying town homes in the 16th century.

The improvement work started in 1853 under the direction of Richard Carpenter.

Carpenter almost rebuilt the church and designed a memorial cross to Wellington. He replaced galleries, widened the aisles and lengthened the church. Oddly after all the fuss, its capacity was reduced.

St Peter’s Church in the centre of town was by this time well established. It was a grander building and in 1873 it was declared the parish church of Brighton.

But St Nicholas has lasted better and has had further restoration while St Peter’s is crumbling despite some urgent repairs.

St Nicholas also has a historic churchyard and everyone of note was buried there before the main cemeteries were built off the Lewes Road in the 19th century.

Among those who have memorials to them are Captain Nicholas Tettersell, who took Charles II to France after the Civil War and Sake Deen Mohamed who ran successful baths in the town.

Phoebe Hessell, who disguised herself as a man to enter the Army, is also commemorated there as is Martha Gunn, the celebrated dipper who helped fashionable people get in and out of the sea.

The warlike Wellington always had a soft spot for Brighton and would be proud that thanks to him the church where he worshipped still survives.