Situated on North Street, one of Brighton’s main shopping thoroughfares, the Chapel Royal is easy to miss: it’s façade blends in with the  street so comfortably: it could be a bank, or a small civic building. But, steeped in history, it is a very welcoming and peaceful place to visit, to escape the Saturday shopping crowds, attend a concert or, of course, to worship.

The Church itself - adjacent to the side entrance of the Royal Pavilion - was founded in 1794 to cater for the rich and famous, drawn by the circle of the Prince Regent (later George IV). He laid its foundation stone, and attended the opening in 1795. It remained the fashionable place to worship until a new private chapel was opened in the Pavilion complex itself in 1822, after which the Chapel Royal's congregation became more representative of its surrounding community.

The present building is the result of extensive restoration by the notable Victorian architect Arthur Blomfield during the latter part of the 19th Century. The exterior is most unchurch-like: essentially a red-brick mixture of Victorian Romanesque and Gothic elements, the most prominent feature is the Gothic clock tower. But the interior still retains a more Georgian feel (although it still substantially Victorian), with its simple, light colour scheme and vertical emphasis. Although the floor area is small, the ceiling rises to an impressive square lantern which, together with the clear glass and spacious galleries, gives a feeling of light and space.

The main service is on Sunday mornings at 10.15am, but the church also hosts a friendly coffee shop on Saturdays (home-made cakes!) with the proceeds going to charity, is the venue for a number of community group activities and has a programme of regular concerts on Tuesday lunchtimes. The church is open for visitors and private prayer most week-days; see their web-site (www.chapelroyalbrighton.org.uk) for more photographs, and details of events and services.