Carlton Hill is a long, steep road on high ground known as the East Cliff, north of the Kemp Town development and south of Hanover.

The need for such action was urgent in the early years of his curacy: by 1830 about 18,000 poor people lived in the town, representing nearly half the population, but only 3,000 rent-free pews were available in the existing churches.

[7] The church cost £4,660 (equivalent to £531,500 in 2025)[1] (including £908 (£103,600 in 2025)[1] for the purchase of the site), and was consecrated on 28 January 1840 by Robert James Carr, a former Vicar of Brighton who had become the Bishop of Worcester.

[10] Before this, it was announced in June 1982 that one of four bidders for the franchise for Brighton's new commercial radio station wanted to buy the building and convert it into a broadcast studio.

[11] Since the Greek Orthodox community acquired the building, some interior alterations have been made, including the installation of a new altar screen.

Built in brick (in a Flemish bond pattern) with some stone dressings, the church has a stuccoed southern frontage, facing Carlton Hill;[7] none of the other elevations are easily visible.

A deep central recess is flanked by two prominent wings with entrance doors[12] and large stone pilasters, above which is a pediment with an embedded clock.

[6][18] The Georgian-style front elevation, which was improved in 1957 by L.A. Mackintosh (whose personal monogram is on the wall above the left entrance door),[3] has been described as "strangely bleak".