Correspondence ADDRESS
Most Revd Dr J L H Lloyd DD OSJV FRSA
The Titular Archbishop of Selsey
Suite 10G Citibase,
95 Ditchling Road,
Brighton BN1 4ST
United Kingdom
| Telephone: +44 (0) 1273 044 542 | Office hours: Mon – Fri 10am – 5pm |
| Email: abp@selsey.org | For scheduling see below or Diary |
The Brighton Forum was built originally to house the Chichester Diocesan Training College for Schoolmistresses. The architects William and Edward Habershon were commissioned to design the building, starting work at the large corner site in 1854 of Viaduct Road and Ditchling Road, and the building was ready later that year. Knapped flint is the main building material, augmented by stone dressings and some yellow brickwork to the quoins. The roof is laid with tiles. The local firm of Edmund Scott and F.T. Cawthorn extended the building to the rear (north side) in 1886.
Teachers continued to be trained at the college until 1939. As World War II approached, the institution closed and the building was auctioned; but before it could be sold, the Royal Engineers requisitioned it for their use during wartime. They used it as a base for their operations, then after the war it became their archives and records office. In 1987, they moved out, and the vacant building was threatened with demolition. A local campaign helped it receive Grade II listed status by English Heritage on 22 March 1988, offering a degree of protection, and the building’s future was secured when it was bought and converted into a complex of serviced offices.
The Archbishop’s office suite, located within the building, includes his private oratory. Central to the Archbishop’s daily routine is the offering of the holy sacrifice of the Mass. In addition to the Mass, the Archbishop finds solace and strength through the recitation of his Breviary. As he immerses himself in the psalms, scripture readings, and intercessory prayers, the Archbishop unites his own intentions with those of the universal Church, interceding for the needs of the faithful and seeking God’s guidance and mercy. Here too, the Archbishop regularly meditates before the Blessed Sacrament.
