Diameter: 14" Bell 1 of 1
Founded by Unidentified (blank)
Dove Bell ID: 62058 Tower ID: 24640 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Westcliff: St Paul
Overview
Grid reference: TQ 873 860
The squat red-brick tower of this unusual church has a visual impact out of proportion to its size, set as it is between a 1970’s community centre, a primary school and tower blocks of similar date rising behind. : Work on the church was begun shortly before 1900 by a private citizen as a non-conformist chapel; the building was only completed in 1904. It was taken over by the Church of England and consecrated as a daughter church to the parish church of Prittlewell St Mary in 1922.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
Three-bay aisled nave, small chancel, north and south vestries, west tower within but also projecting slightly beyond the west end of the south aisle, shallow west porch.
Dimensions:
Nave 13m (40ft) x 5m (16ft).
Description of Archaeology and History
Work on the church was begun shortly before 1900 by a private citizen as a non-conformist chapel; the building was only completed in 1904. It was taken over by the Church of England and consecrated as a daughter church to the parish church of Prittlewell St Mary in 1922. The church has been extended in recent years by the addition of a north-east vestry, and rooms within the original south-east vestry and in the west corner of the north aisle have been carved out of the available space. Since closure, it now belongs to the Greek Orthodox Church.
Exterior Description
No-one could mistake this odd building for a church built by the Church of England. It gives the impression of a larger church which has been shrunk; that is to say it has all the features and detailing of a larger church, but executed in miniature. This gives it an undeniable naïve charm. The architectural style chosen is probably meant to be defined by the short pointed lancets, but the feel of the church overall is nearer Georgian, due to the dimensions of the tower, the use of red brick, the form of the nave arcades and the furnishings.
The church is meant to be seen and entered from the west end, which faces onto the road. The west end of the nave is square in form with a crenellated parapet, the north corner beyond the gable supported by a triangular brick gable with a demi-arch within, a kind of miniature flying buttress. In front of this is a very shallow projecting porch of two stages, with in turn a small projection in front with a depressed arch-headed doorway with exposed brick voussoirs above, under a stepped gable with stone copings surmounted by a stone finial cross. The projection is flanked by two small slit windows with brick lintels, now provisionally blocked with white hardboard due to vandalism, which looks very poor.
The internal doorway behind is pointed with a Bathstone surround, which would suggest that the outer porch is a later addition. The lower stage and the projection are pebble-dashed, as is the parapet. The second stage of the porch proper is of exposed brick and has two square openings flanking the finial cross, with pointed lancet openings within wooden frames. These openings are also blocked with hardboard.
The aisles have flat roofs behind crenellated parapets with stone copings. From the west only the north aisle is visible, which has a paired lancet window with a Bathstone square-headed cogged surround and label (all the windows are like this) within the square gable; again a triangular side gable with inset arch is provided.
The tower flanks the nave to the south, projecting slightly to the west. The tower is of two stages, with no external division; the crenellated parapet is defined by a single stone string-course. The west face has a single lancet lighting the lower stage and a tall louvred two-light belfry opening in the same style as the aisle windows. Moving around to the south side, the tower has a large pointed doorway of Bathstone with a hood-mould (this entrance is no longer used, see below).
A small lancet is situated above and to the left of the doorway, lighting the stairs to the belfry. Roughly opposite it is a stone plaque, now unreadable. The belfry is lit from this side by a tall two-light, of the same style as the other windows, each light with a steel transom and mullion, with frosted glass (one pane missing and boarded up). Above this and inset into the parapet is a clock face, with a moulded Bathstone surround and a label which terminates into the string course, and therefore obviously original to the church.
The south and north aisles both have three paired lancets, but these are unevenly spaced due to the fact that the tower takes up part of the south aisle; this asymmetry is also evident in the arcades (see below). The clearstorey has three single lancets in each wall. The nave and chancel gables have tile fleur-de-lys finials.
Moving around to the east end, the chancel is slightly lower than the nave, allowing for a small lancet with an artificial stone surround in the west gable of the latter. The east face of the tower has a tall lancet to light the stairs low down adjacent to the south aisle, and a two-light window to light the belfry stage, both like the one in the south face. There is also a single small bell hung under a projecting gable, high up on the right.
The chancel east wall has three stepped lancets inside a recessed arch-headed surround high up in the gable, the wall below blank. The modern extension flanks this to the south, with a domestic rectangular window. The wall has been partly painted white, the painter apparently having run out of paint or enthusiasm half way across the chancel wall, leaving a very untidy prospect. The north chapel has four single lancets in the east wall, and one smaller lancet in the north wall.
Building Fabric and Features
Nave
20th century 3 bay aisled
Chancel
20th century small
Vestry
20th century north and south
Tower (component)
20th century west
Porch
20th century shallow west
Building Materials
Brick
20th century red
Bath Stone
20th century window and door dressings
Timber
20th century roof structure
Clay
20th century roof tiles
Interior
Interior Description
The interior is whitewashed throughout, sparsely lit by the small windows, though the artificial lighting is adequate for this small church, with down-lighters at clearstorey level. The furnishings and fittings are conventional and date mostly to the period between the World Wars, though the benches which originally occupied the nave were recently removed and replaced by chairs for the Greek Orthodox community who have been meeting here.
The tower space at the west end of the south aisle behind the simple pointed tower arch is now cluttered with furniture and a piano. There is a hatchment on the wall above. Opposite this in the west end of the north aisle, a room of similar dimensions has been created with hardboard screens, this dating back to the recent use of the building on a lease by the Schizophrenic Society. The south-east vestry was also converted at this time, the 4-centred arch giving access from the aisle boarded up with a modern domestic door now providing access; the matching arch the north-east organ chamber opposite has also been blocked off.
There is a wooden dado rail and panelling around the walls of the nave and aisles. The aisle arcades are so low that one could jump and touch them. They have 4-centred arches with a single chamfer, and spring from short octagonal piers with splayed bases and late Perpendicular moulded capitals, irregularly spaced to accommodate the west tower within the south aisle. The clearstorey above is pierced by single pointed lights with clear glass. There are stained glass windows in the south aisle.
The pointed chancel arch is of two simple orders. Beyond this the east end of the chancel catches the eye, with its integral marble reredos and altar table and oak panelling beneath the stepped triple lancet stained glass window set high up in the wall. The tiny chancel is now rather untidily cluttered with furniture and defunct organs.
The king-post nave roof is carried on simple moulded corbels. It is of pitch pine, as is the waggon roof in the chancel. The floors are of woodblock throughout, laid with blue carpet in the chancel.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
20th century Marble slab integral with the reredos panel, supported on polished black granite shafts.
Reredos
19th century Grey marble panel with projecting shelf above the altar, with carved commemoration to Jane Ibbotson, died September 19th 1887. Above and flanking this a panelled oak screen with gilding in a neo-Georgian style. The moulded cornice sits under the window lintel.
Pulpit
20th century Hexagonal oak pulpit, very plain and standard with simple blind tracery panels. Three wooden steps up en suite.
Lectern
20th century Brass eagle.
Font (component)
20th century Octagonal stone font, plain.
Stained Glass (window)
20th century In the chancel east window and south aisle windows. The three-light window in the south aisle is signed by Willis & Jones of London. An inscription runs across the bottom of all three lights “To the Glory of God and in affectionate memory of Emily Howard. 1933.” The central light has St John the Evangelist, flanked by SS George and Michael. The three-light high in the east chancel wall has the Virgin Mary flanked by SS Peter and Paul. Stylistically it appears similar to the other windows. The single light to the east of this has “Suffer the children”, and would also appear to be contemporary.
Plaque (component)
20th century Lozenge-shaped wooden board mounted above the tower arch, black with gold lettering, as follows: April 3rd (Southend coat of arms) 1904 Mayor. Councillor. James Berry. J.P. RECTOR OF THIS CHURCH, Reverend Alfred Waller -------------------------------------------------------- CHURCH CONSECRATED BY THE RT REVD THE LORD BISHOP OF CHELMSFORD 23RD SEPTEMBER 1922 WILTON. N..MCCANN, M.A. VICAR Revd Waller is also commemorated by a marble plaque mounted on the respond above the pulpit, inscribed: In loving Memory of ALFRED WALLER WHO FOR 25 YEARS FAITHFULLY PREACHED THE GOSPEL IN THIS CHURCH, AND PASSED INTO GLORY 9TH NOVEMBER 1917 AGED 62 YEARS ---------------- THE ASHES IN AN URN ARE DEPOSITED WITHIN A VAULT OUTSIDE THE WEST FRONT OF THIS CHURCH There are several plaques in the north aisle, as follows. A carved stone angel is mounted on the wall with a brass plaque underneath, to Brian Heywood Daly, died 20th April 1906. There are three further plaques mounted beneath, very dirty, to other members of the Daly family, including one which is a War Memorial, to Denis Heywood Daly, killed at Dunquerque July 17th 1917, aged 21 years. Brass plaque commemorating John Muers, died January 6th 1902 aged 86 years and his wife Jane Muers died June 4th 1908 aged 73 years. There are two more unreadable brass plaques. There is a marble plaque set into a window reveal, commemorating Louisa Crew, beloved wife of E A Watts, died 21st November 1917 aged 44 years.
Organ (component)
20th century Single manual pipe organ by the Positive Organ Company set within the north-east organ chamber, defunct.
Rail
20th century Tripartite hinged wooden rail with shaped supports in a neo-Georgian style.
Bells
Portable Furnishings and Artworks
Registers: marriages from 1899, baptisms from 1922.
Churchyard
Grid reference: TQ 873 860
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
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