A building of considerable interest, both on account of its architectural quality and because it is the work of Edward Ingress Bell, an architect of some renown who did little ecclesiastical work, and whose other church designed for the diocese, St Joseph, Guildford, has been replaced by a recent building. 

The fine interior contains a number of good decorative features most notably, perhaps, the stained glass and painted decoration in the sanctuary.  Even partially complete decorative schemes of this kind (originally the wooden roof and dado would also have been painted) are becoming increasingly rare.  The survival of those that remain is therefore of some importance. The surface of the frieze of painted angels in the sanctuary shows evidence of having been rather vigorously scraped at sometime in the past. It is vital that any future restoration of the painted decoration should be carried out by a suitably qualified conservator.

List description

II

Church.  1881 by E. Ingress-Bell.  Dressed stone with stone quoins and dressings, plain tiled roof with wood shingled fleche over crossing carrying metal weathervane.  Cruciform plan with transepts, apsidal chancel with chapels, narthex across the west end and vestry addition to north east connecting back to the priest’s houses (not included in listing).  North aisle windows with plate tracery, cusped head lancets to south side.  Buttresses to ends of transepts, thick hood mouldings over transept lancet windows and circular windows. Interior: 3 bay nave arcades on stone square piers with moulded angles, south aisle lower than north, west bay of south arcade blocked.  Wooden ceiling with wood quadripartite vault over crossing, wood panelled ceiling to chapel.  Chancel arch with 3 orders of jamb shafts and hood moulding.  C19 wall paintings of angels and foliage patterns on chancel walls. Fittings: C19 and C20

Heritage Details