Church Heritage Record 631105

West narthex, 6-bay aisled nave with clerestory, 2-bay chancel with north transept (former organ chamber) and south chapel and vestries. North-west boiler room.

[Approximate] Nave 9m (30ft) x 28m (92ft), aisles 3½m wide (11ft), chancel 14m (46ft)

Gillingham is a town of historic maritime importance and through which a Roman road was built. There are a large number of Roman finds within a 1km radius of the church, and a Romano-British cinerary urn was found within 500 metres of the site. The site is however of low archaeological potential. Gillingham had undergone considerable growth in the size of the town and its population by 1885. In response a new place of worship was built to accommodate growing congregations. Once a plot was purchased, funds were raised to build a mission hall to hold 250 people. It opened in 1886 and survives as the church hall, although the bell turret has been removed and an extension made to its south side.

Drawings on the Church Plans website (the ICBS issued a grant towards the construction of the new building) illustrate the architect’s original visions for a west tower which was never realised. The nave and aisles were consecrated in 1890, stones for the chancel and organ chamber were laid in 1899 (date stone visible at the east end) and the stone laying ceremony for the Lady Chapel and vestries was held in 1914 (date stone visible in the east wall).

The archaeological potential of the site is low. There are no known designations relating to the ecology of the plot.

The tall red brick elevations and steeply pitched roof of St Barnabas stand proud of the housing that lines the streets which it follows to either side. Additional accents are provided by stone cross finials on the gables, an empty stone bell turret over the chancel arch and projecting turrets at the east end which surmount tall buttresses, as well as to the south of the vestry.

The chancel and nave roofs are the same height with raised stone copings marking a change between the two. Lean-to roofs abut the west end and north and south nave walls. At the west end two pointed arched doorways pierce the west elevation, with that to the south the regular entry point. Above the lean-to roof, are two sets of paired lancets with a quatrefoil above, set within recessed pointed arches. A circular window is sited in the apex. Flat-topped pillars rise either side of the gable, presumably once terminating in pinnacles as at the east end.

Above the north and south aisle roof lines the walls are pierced by clerestory lancet windows whilst at ground level, the aisles have three trefoil-headed lights to each bay, separated by buttresses. A north door is located at the east end of the north aisle. A continuous stone sill runs beneath the aisle windows and also along the top of the clerestory windows.

Beyond the north aisle, a tall transept projects with a circular window in the north elevation and corner buttresses. A simple shed leans against the east elevation. The chancel has two-light windows at ground level and two-light windows with a surmounting quatrefoil at clerestory level. The east end has five lancets beneath a pointed arch. To the south of the chancel the chapel and vestries stand in diminishing heights, a chimney rises from the vestry. The Lady Chapel has a two-light trefoil headed window in the east wall with quatrefoil above. The vestry has a three-light trefoil headed window under a segmental arch. The adjacent church hall sits close to the south-east corner of the building and blocks views of the south side vestry and chapel.

The broad interior space is accessed from the west, separated from the nave by three arches springing from two pillars. Doors to the north and south of this space lead into lobbies with tiled floors. The west wall has four trefoil headed lights recessed within the wall. The nave is a lofty, well-kept space with arcades to north and south. The round pillars are plastered and painted white, contrasting with the chamfered brick pointed arches they support. Above the arcades, the spandrels are again plastered and painted, whilst the clerestory level brickwork is exposed. The aisle walls are plastered and painted to dado height with brick above.

The north-west corner of the north aisle is used as a children’s area. All of the ground level windows are single trefoil headed lights, arranged three to each bay, recessed within deep round-headed splays. Lights at the clerestory level are arranged in pairs.

The nave has softwood block floors laid in different directions beneath the open-backed pine pews and the aisles. A stretch of carpet runs along the main aisle. The space is ceiled by pine scissor trusses, with boarded lean-to aisle roofs. Clear glazing allows light into the interior with further light from spotlights and circular brass light-fittings, probably contemporary with the church.

A pointed brick moulded chancel arch, with responds, marks out the change in space, whilst at ground level this is achieved by a low stone chancel wall with attached railings. A modern dais, inserted in the 1970s, forms three steps leading up to the area and has established an altar within the nave. Arcades to the north and south side of the chancel have steeper arches and octagonal pillars. That to the south opens into the long, narrow Lady Chapel with boarded barrel roof. On the north side a bigger arch opens into the former organ chamber. Pine choir stalls sit on raised boarded floors to north and south of the chancel, ceramic herringbone tiles pave the aisle between though these are largely covered by carpet. The Sanctuary is raised by two steps, with white edges, and has a piscina in the south wall, an ornate reredos (see below) spans the east wall and provides a focus along the length of the church. The altar is raised by a further three steps.