Church Of St Stephen

SO85NW 620-1/1/591 01/02/99

WORCESTER ST STEPHEN'S STREET Church of St Stephen

GII Church.1861-1862,by Charles Preedy.Sandstone ashlar with plain tile roof.Aisled nave and chancel with north vestry and south Lady Chapel;to west end is a tower,set to south west of nave.Middle Pointed style.Decorated east window of three trefoil-headed lights,with quatrefoils set above.Impost and cill courses swept around offset angle buttresses to two bay sides with trefoil-headed lights,the north side having offset stack set at junction with vestry,which has simple trefoil-headed lights and pointed-arched door in north east angle.Lady Chapel,to south of chancel,has apsidal east end with trefoil-headed windows having consecration crosses carved in relief to recessed apron panels;south elevation has three-light windows in similar manner to east chancel window.Nave of four bays,has two-light trefoil-headed windows with trefoiled roundels to aisles,articulated by offset buttresses to each bay,similar windows to clerestorey being paired to each bay.South porch has pointed moulded arch set on paired marble columns with stiff-leaf capitals;inner door with decorative hinges.West gable of nave lit by four-light Decorated window,in flatter relief than east end and with cusped lights to top;gabled porch set immediately below this window,its ridge linked to the window sill,has similar doorway to south porch.The three-stage west tower is boldly articulated by offset corner buttresses,pinnacled at top and linked by corbelled parapet with deeply-recessed trefoil panels;middle stage with trefoiled lancets,the bottom and upper stages with Decorated windows richly detailed,with polychrome arches and engaged columns with foliate capitals to upper stage;to northwest is stair tower with chamfered slit lights.INTERIOR:Decorated arcades with foliate capitals;open timber roof;original fittings including pews,pulpit,stone font,choir fittings;some fine stained glass,including windows to north probably by Hardman.A robust composition by this Birmingham architect,with some fine detail.