Sistine Chapel… in Sussex!

Today we took our Residents to The English Martyrs Catholic Church in Goring-by-Sea—and were completely blown away. From the outside, it’s a modest local church. But inside? The ceiling is a hand-painted reproduction of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel—and it’s absolutely breathtaking.

Painted by local artist (and church deacon!) Gary Bevans, this masterpiece is done at two-thirds the scale of the original and took over 5 years (between 1987 and 1993) to complete, working evenings and weekends.

The ceiling, built from wooden vaulting and painted in acrylics, closely mirrors Michelangelo’s vibrant palette revealed after the Vatican restoration .

To adapt to the church’s dimensions—it’s the same width but shorter in length than the original—Bevans cleverly created the artwork at two‑thirds scale, even including the upper wall panels to enrich the experience.

It’s the only one of its kind in the world outside the Vatican!

From the outside, English Martyrs looks unassuming—typical mid‑20th‑century red‑brick with no spire—so the effect upon entering is stunning

Our residents used the mirror trolleys provided to comfortably admire the ceiling—no neck strain needed!

They were truly amazed by the vibrant detail and colours. We also spent time admiring the beautiful stained glass windows.

---