Christchurch

SO 85 NW BROADHEATH CP MARTLEY ROAD (north-east side)

4/1 Christchurch

II

Parish church. 1903-4 by C Ford Whitcombe on new site. Sandstone rubble with ashlar dressings and tiled roofs. 2 bay chancel, 4 bay nave and south aisle passage, south porch intersects with west tower and incorporates stair turret base to tower, stair turret to south east. Decorated style; also Arts and Crafts influence evident in fittings. Chancel has sloping corner buttresses; 3-light east window, cusped lancets the hood moulds of which return and continue as string course; arched doorway in north elevation. Nave: sloping buttresses at corners and bay divisions; slit window in angles with chancel, otherwise flat-headed openings and cusped lancets; parapet with moulded coping between nave and south aisle roofs. Gabled south porch has ogee-arched doorway, the hood mould returning to form string course; wrought- iron gates; sundial carved above doorway, parapet with moulded coping. West tower: 3 stages, each having string course; corner buttresses with tiled offsets; lower stage of north elevation has paired 2-light flat-headed windows, cusped lancets to both north and south elevations beneath lower string; arched west doorway flanked by flat-headed cusped lancets beneath string; wrought iron clock face to second stage elevations; bell-chamber stage has ogee-arched 2-light openings, hood moulds with returns and rising as half columns to the parapet string, terminating in foliated capitals. Traceried parapet, crocketted corner finials and corner gargoyles; pyramidal roof and ship weathervane. Stair tower has slit windows, string course and gargoyle, and parapet with moulded coping. Interior: Chancel arch responds of 3 grouped shafts; arcade has octagonal piers and are compound pier at upper end; wagon roofs; octagonal font; piscina with quatrefoil-shaped basin; reredos and altar rails of carved vines; stained glass in east and north window of chancel and 3 windows of nave, all early C20. Stairs to turret in porch have iron balusters of similar design to hinges found throughout building.

Listing NGR: SO8106257251