Princethorpe College, Church Of Our Lady And All Angels

Princethorpe College, Church of Our Lady and All Angels

Church built as a convent chapel between 1897 and 1901 by architect Peter Paul Pugin, funded by Hilda de Trafford. The building is constructed in English bond bright red brick with moulded cornice and moulded stone plinth and dressings. The slate roofs feature ridge cresting and stone coped gable parapets with goblet kneelers.

The church displays Gothic Revival Decorated style architecture with curvilinear tracery. The plan comprises a tall four-bay nave, two-bay crossing, three-bay polygonal apsidal chancel with ambulatory, a south range, and a linked detached south-west tower. The east end contains nine two-light windows with continuous hood moulds. A wrought iron cross finial crowns the composition, and a low irregular single-storey range around the chancel links the church to the former convent buildings.

The south range features a large five-light window with hood mould. Its gable displays a small openwork stone panel and decorated stone cross finial. The transept is considerably higher, with two large two-light windows flanking an elaborate canopied image niche and statue. Above rises a rose window of four quatrefoiled roundels, with a stone gable apex containing a small opening. The west side displays two two-light windows. A low single-storey four-bay range crosses the transept and eastern nave, and a two-bay range extends across the nave to the tower, both with moulded parapets. The transept range includes a Tudor-arched doorway with carved spandrels and plank door, a straight-headed two-light window, and three-light windows. The nave range has segmental-arched four-light windows. Throughout the building, other windows have trefoiled round-arched lights. The nave features angle and side buttresses of two offsets. North and south sides display paired two-light clerestory windows with continuous hood moulds to each bay.

The west front is dominated by a large five-light window with hood mould and head stops. Below are segmental-arched three-light windows flanking an image niche and statue. The gable apex is of stone with blind tracery and a cross finial. A low single-storey link to the tower has a parapet with one- and three-light straight-headed windows. A low lean-to north range features a moulded west doorway with segmental-pointed outer arch and hood mould with head stops, and double-leaf doors. The north side displays three bays of segmental-arched three-light windows. The north transept has a west projection with a Tudor-arched four-light window featuring transom and tracery with hood mould, and a north side image niche with tracery.

The large detached tower comprises three stages and five storeys. Angle buttresses with weatherings become octagonal clasping buttresses at the third stage. An octagonal stair turret sits at the south-east corner. The first stage has segmental-arched three-light windows with round relieving arches and sill courses continued across the buttresses on each side. The second stage comprises two storeys: the lower contains two trefoiled lancets with hood moulds, whilst the upper storey has trefoiled ogee lancets with straight heads and carved spandrels flanking a canopied image niche with statue. Above is a stone band of six bays of blind arcading with ogee arches and carved capitals, and three narrow lancets. The third stage features very large three-light bell openings with mullions and transom to the lower part, elaborate tracery, and hood moulds with head stops. An elaborate stone openwork parapet and balustrade crown the stage. The canted sides of the buttresses display canopied image niches and corbelled-out statues. The turret has attached shafts and string courses to its upper part. Turret and buttresses are topped with stone spirelets.

The interior is lavishly finished in plaster. Panelled barrel roofs throughout feature moulded wood arched braces and ribs, wallposts, and stone corbels carved with angels. The chancel has attached shafts and a radiating rib roof over the apse. Nine moulded arches to the ambulatory rest on composite piers. Nave and chancel arches of two moulded orders have inner shafts with foliage capitals and continuous outer order. Moulded transept arches support stone screens of two segmental arches with foliage ornament and openwork balustrade. The nave features a west gallery with stone openwork balustrade.

The fittings include a very large lavish painted and gilt Gothic ciborium altar. The carved white marble altar, standing on black marble steps, is said to have been made in Rome. The ambulatory contains three carved Gothic altars and reredoses in stone, stone and wood, and wood respectively. Elaborate wrought iron screens and gates open to the ambulatory and rood screen, which features a Crucifixion. The north chapel has an elaborate carved and painted reredos. The nave displays elaborate Gothic wood panelling and misericords, with panelling below the gallery containing two canopied seats flanking an image niche and statue. The church retains a complete set of original stained glass.

The convent was built for French Benedictine nuns and was known as St. Mary Priory.