Bell 1 of 1
Dove Bell ID: 64237 Tower ID: 25593 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Southsea: St Peter
Overview
Grid reference: SZ 646 997
The predecessor to St Peter's Church was a temporary iron mission chapel built in 1871 by St Jude's, Southsea to serve the expanding suburb of Somerstown, a largely working-class district to the east of Portsmouth city centre. This was replaced in 1882-3 with a permanent church of 750 seats by the local architect Alfred Arthur Hudson (1852-1930), whose initial, much more ambitious design for a 1000-seat church was pared down at the insistence of the Church Commissioners. The cost of the new church was largely met by public subscription and a few large individual donations. Furnishings were gradually added over the succeeding decades, including a major re-fitting of the sanctuary area, supposedly by Italian craftsmen, in 1905. The original gas lanterns were replaced by electric lighting during the 1920s. The old mission chapel continued to serve as a church hall until it was replaced in 1923-4 by the St Peter's Institute adjacent on the north side (not included in the listing, and already sold).
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
Aisled nave and chancel, south and north porch, north chapel, south vestry.
Dimensions:
Nave 22x8m, chancel 6m long.
Footprint of Church buildings: 1231 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
No known finds of archaeological significance are known to have been discovered on the site. The church is of local historic interest.
Exterior Description
St Peter's is a tall brick church in a severe early Gothic style. It comprises of a five-bay aisled nave with a western baptistery, and a polygonal-apsed chancel of two bays flanked by a Lady chapel to the north and a pair of vestries to the south.
The exterior is of red brick, with Bath stone dressings sparingly used, and steep-pitched roofs of Welsh slate. The windows are tall narrow lancets. On the west front these are arranged in two tiers above a gabled baptistery, which sits between a pair of massive stepped buttresses. At the western end of each aisle is a gabled porch topped with a cross finial.
The clerestorey windows are linked by a continuous stone band, with brick corbelling above. The chapel and vestry project as low transepts, the latter having a single bell opening in the gable. The windows in the apse are cusped lancets, placed one over the other so that the head of the lower light forms the cill of the one above.
Building Fabric and Features
Nave
19th century aisled
Chancel
19th century
Porch
19th century north and south
Chapel (component)
19th century north
Vestry
19th century south
Building Materials
Brick
19th century red
Bath Stone
19th century dressings
Welsh Slate
19th century roofs
Tile
19th century ridge
Wood
19th century roof structure
Interior
Interior Description
Entry is via the SW porch. The interior is a single, aisled space, with no division between nave and chancel except a rood beam above. The inside walls are faced with a soft purplish brick, with red brick used for dressings and stone for the plain octagonal arcade piers. A triple arch divides the west end of the nave from the baptistery. The upper nave walls are corbelled out slightly just below clerestorey level, and - as on the exterior - a continuous stone moulding runs between the clerestorey windows.
The nave roof is arch-braced with king struts and tie beams supported on plain stone corbels. The chancel is raised up three steps and has a black and white tiled floor. To the north, three unequal arches open into the Lady chapel, while to the south is an ambulatory passage leading to the vestries.
An oak screen divides the north aisle from the Lady chapel. Over the chancel steps is a carved rood beam with a Crucifixion group. On the south side of the chancel is the organ, housed in a simple Gothic case.
The apsidal sanctuary is raised up a further step, with three more leading up to the high altar; the floor here is of white mosaic with roundels containing Eucharistic symbols and ecclesiastical heraldry. This was scarcely visible however due to clutter at the time of the visit, the same can be said of the rich suite of carved, gilded and painted sanctuary fittings showing high standards of craftsmanship, mostly of the late C19 or early C20.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
20th century The high altar, reredos and apse panelling, installed in 1905, form a lavish set, with rich blind-tracery carving in oak and painted figures on gold backgrounds in the panels: Christ in Glory in the centre, with the Agnus Dei on the altar frontal, the Adoration of the Magi in the left-hand panels and the Three Maries at the Sepulchre to the right. These are now obscured by a screen and drum sets etc.
Reredos
20th century The high altar, reredos and apse panelling, installed in 1905, form a lavish set, with rich blind-tracery carving in oak and painted figures on gold backgrounds in the panels: Christ in Glory in the centre, with the Agnus Dei on the altar frontal, the Adoration of the Magi in the left-hand panels and the Three Maries at the Sepulchre to the right. These are now obscured by a screen and drum sets etc.
Pulpit
19th century Victorian, octagonal, combining late Gothic tracery with linenfold panelling. Oak.
Lectern
19th century Brass eagle, Victorian.
Font (component)
19th century Round stone font with stiff-leaf decoration.
Stall
20th century The present chancel stalls, of oak with linenfold panelling replaced the original pine furnishings in 1954.
Rail
19th century Wooden rail, cusped tracery.
Organ (component)
17th century Three manual pipe organ. The instrument traces its origins to an organ built by Thomas Thamar for Winchester Cathedral in 1665, although it has since been relocated, rebuilt and expanded several times. The organ was used at Christ Church, Lancaster Gate, London between 1852 and 1884 and was relocated to Southsea by Willis in that year. The organ was rebuilt by W. J. Burton in 1908, and by Hill, Norman and Beard in 1930, with some further modifications and cleaning made by an unknown organ builder in 1948 following war damage to the church roof. The organ has been awarded an Historic Organ Certificate by BIOS.
Plaque (component)
19th / 20th century Many brass wall plaques under the windows commemorating donors.
Inscribed Object
20th century Fabric from the old high altar was reused in the World War I memorial tablet in the south ambulatory.
Stained Glass (window)
19th / 20th century A particularly fine scheme of late Victorian stained glass. The windows in the aisles, chancel and Lady chapel ae mostly by Walter Tower of Kempe & Co. The aisle windows form two distinct schemes: English saints in the north aisle, and figures connected with the Nativity to the south. The Lady chapel windows depict SS Peter and Paul and the Blessed Virgin Mary; those in the apse show the Nativity, Baptism, Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension of Christ. 1 window by A L Moore in chapel. The baptistery windows are by Francis Skeat and symbolise Baptism, Confirmation and Ordination; they were installed in 1975 as a memorial to a former parish priest, the Revd Gordon King.
Bells
Churchyard
Grid reference: SZ 646 997
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Sources
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