Church Heritage Record 612223

Rectangular plan. 3-bay nave with north and south aisles, west narthex and north porch. North and south transepts with north chapel and south organ chamber and choir vestry. Chancel with vestry to south.

(Approximate) Nave 15m (49ft) x 6m (20ft), chancel 9m (29.5ft) long, aisles 3m (10ft) wide.

Derby was settled by the Romans and prospered on the wool trade until industrialisation in the 18th century. The town continued to grow and in 1839 the railway arrived, becoming a major station in 1867. By the 20th century Derby had become a large industrialised centre. Few pre-Victorian buildings remain. As the population throughout the 19th century grew surburbs were drawn into Derby.

Joseph Peacock, a London-based architect, was commissioned by Canon and Mrs Olivier in 1879 to build St Thomas in memory of her father Ven. Archdeacon Hill. St Thomas was consecrated in 1881. In 1885 land was bought to build a parsonage house.

The original spirelet above the chancel was probably replaced by the present turret in 1958, the date of the bell. The archaeological potential is low.

The church, whose exterior is of darkened stone with steeply pitched roofs (with short octagonal bell-cote over the chancel and stone finials marking east gable and chancel crossing), was built in the Neo-Norman style. Romanesque motifs such as the round arch, chevron and dog-tooth details, balls and scallop mouldings repeat throughout the building as well as in the fixtures and fittings and even on the gate posts and rain hoppers. The church was built in one phase and Peacock combines many playful and unexpected elements into the composition.

The church stands on a plinth. A continuous corbel table at eaves level and a moulded string course, both above and below the windows, encircle the building. Several original cast iron light brackets and rain hoppers survive in situ.

A lean-to narthex at the bottom of the gabled west elevation provides access to the church through a round arch to the south side. Beneath a moulded chevron band a round-headed arcade with colonnettes with scalloped capitals is obscured by signage (though unsightly they serve to protect glass behind). Gabled buttresses abut west elevation. Above, recalling a Palladian window, a round-headed window recessed within two orders of arches with chevron decoration and attached shafts and scalloped capitals sits between two blind panels. A niche containing a figure of St Thomas is in the apex. Additional buttresses with scalloped and ball tops (as repeated on gate piers).

The aisles are shorter than the nave by almost one bay, so the north and south walls of the west end have triple lancets beneath a wheel window. The west end gables to north and south have round windows above coupled round-headed lancets with shafts with scalloped capitals. Buttresses to corners. North elevation has single lancets whilst the south has paired lancets, both with buttresses. The north side has a gabled porch with three orders of arches with shafts with scalloped capitals and banded chevron detail to apex. Gabled north and south transepts with two single lights with small single light to apex. Different buttresses again. North and south chancel walls have three lancets grouped together. West end has three individual lancets beneath large wheel window. Vestry to south-east corner with door to south side with steps. Chimney above.

The interior is entered from the west end. North and south aisles are separated from the nave by round-headed arcades with scalloped capitals. Piers to the south side are drums whilst those to the north have attached corner shafts. An arch separates the north aisle from the Lady Chapel in the north transept. An oak screen with open round-headed arcade separates the vestry in the south transept from the south aisle. The roofs are simple open wood rafters. The walls are painted, with the stone surrounds of windows and arches left exposed. The floors are covered with red, black and yellow geometric tiles between raised wood pew platforms. Carpet has been laid in the nave aisle. Simple benches provide seating.

The chancel is raised by two steps beneath the chancel arch which has zig-zag decoration under a pointed hood mould. The arch is cogged either due to historic settlement or as part of Peacock’s original design. The chancel arch rises from marble shafts resting on trumpet-like corbels. A similar motif is repeated between the chancel and transepts where a round arch on trumpet-like corbels is surmounted by a tripartite opening. The Lady Chapel to the north is screened by a curtain, the organ chamber to the south is screened by an open oak screen, organ pipes fill the lower arch.

The chancel floor is embellished with blue and white Minton floor tiles and the ceiling is a boarded barrel-vault. Original choir stalls repeat now familiar motifs. The sanctuary is raised by a further two steps. The east wall is faced with alabaster beneath a five arch arcade with marble colonnettes, within stained glass and mosaic panels alternate. Additional gold mosaic and chevron detailing above. A sedilia is recessed within the south wall and an ambry within the north wall.