Church Heritage Record 615627

Nave with north and south aisles, chancel, north chapel, south organ chamber.

[Approximate] Nave 15m 50ft) x 6m (19ft), chancel 10m (33ft)

The first mission centre was in a house in Durham Avenue. Congregation growth led to construction of a mission hall at the corner of Salisbury Road and Durham Avenue. Decision was taken to create a new parish and church in 1900. The first site bought (off Salisbury Road – Baptist church build there instead) was sold off as too small. Constructed brick hall first to be used as church until building completed, designed by Harbottle Reed, foundation stone laid 12 June 1901, opened later that year. Foundation stone for church laid 8 November 1905 by the Archbishop of Canterbury. It was designed to seat about 750 worshippers, and consecrated in 1907 though unfinished. Temporary iron west wall until July 1957 when stone wall erected, with stone sourced from Granby barracks. Original plans included a bell tower on the north-east corner, a cloister, and two porches.

The chancel was furnished by the Pinwill sisters. Revd Pinwill, Rector of Ermington in Devon had seven daughters, of whom Mary, Esther and Violet set up with encouragement from their mother a firm called Rashleigh Pinwill, the main artist being Violet. Their work can to be found in over 100 churches in Devon and Cornwall.  It seems likely the reredos is also Violet’s work, perhaps that in the north chapel too.

The archaeological potential of the site is low. There are no known designations relating to the ecology of the plot, though it contains mature trees as noted above.

The west end has three gables terminating in stone cross finials, with big pointed windows in each, 6-light to the nave and 4-lights to the aisle ends, all with Perpendicular tracery.  Central west doorway with large carved leaves and blank tracery panels, with wooden doors. This is the ‘tame Perp front’ (Pevsner) of 1956, shown on the first page; the photograph below gives a better impression of the quality and complexity of the intended design.

This “tameness” is not representative of the rest of the building, which has a pronounced Arts and Crafts feel,  with segmental arched large windows with thick mullions and Flamboyant tracery, particularly the 7-light east window, 3-lights to the aisles.  The Arts and Crafts inspiration is also clear in the low eaves, varied roof lines, the east end with crenellated corner turrets, chancel with south projection and flat-roofed vestry. Segmental relieving arches to the bays. Unfinished tower to north side with pyramid roof.  Stone capped buttresses and eaves.

Entering through the west door, the interior is expensive looking and richly detailed, a lofty, airy and well-lit space, again the Arts and Crafts inspiration is clear. The walls are clad in purple-grey Dulverton stone. The pointed arcades rise from slender clustered piers with ornately and individually carved capitals, continuing as shafts above terminating in moulded corbels which carry the fine ceiled wagon roof which runs through the chancel. Under the aisle windows are blind segmental arched niches with radiators.

The west end had a cleared lobby area, although now the nave has been cleared as part of the closure process, this is no longer apparent. There were wooden chairs in the nave, removed.  Carpet along north aisle and in central nave alley, all now removed. South aisle largely cleared with an organ at the east end. A door in the south wall gives access to a stone stairway down to the undercroft with toilets and kitchen.

The chancel has angel-head corbels, with pointed arcades beneath segmental arches with carved spandrels. The sanctuary has a marble floor of black and white squares with red edges. There are two marble steps up to altar, one step up to the sanctuary.

Good oak choir stalls with carved angel figures to ends, inscribed 1932 and made by the Pinwill sisters, as may be the reredos and other woodwork.  Similar altar and reredos in the north chapel. Oak panelling along the east walls.