Church of St Alban the Martyr is a Grade II listed building in the Southend-on-Sea local planning authority area, England. First listed on 24 October 1996. Church.

Church of St Alban the Martyr

WRENN ID
tired-buttress-alder
Grade
II
Local Planning Authority
Southend-on-Sea
Constituency
Southend East and Rochford MP: Mr Bayo Alaba (Ind)
Country
England
Date first listed
24 October 1996
Type
Church
Address
Church of St Alban the Martyr, St Johns Road
OS grid reference
TQ 873 857
Coordinates
51.53939, 0.69992
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

The Church of St Alban the Martyr is a church built between 1897 and 1904 by the architectural firm of Nicholson and Corlette, led by Sir Charles Nicholson. It is designed in a Free Gothic style and constructed from flint and rubble, with brick banding and mainly brick dressings, along with some stone. The roof is made of plain tiles.

The church features a five-bay nave, north and south porches, a two-bay chancel, north and south transepts, a north aisle chapel, and vestries. It has a south-east tower with canted angles and an east end gable wall that displays a triple blind arcade. The tower is embattled and includes 2-light bell openings, while the south side has a 2-light window with curvilinear tracery. The south transept boasts a double gable with 3-light curvilinear windows and a west door, and the south aisle windows are square-headed with alternately round and ogee-headed paired lights. The porch is located under a half-hipped roof at the west end of the aisle, which also features a tall 6-light window. The north aisle and porch mirror the south side, with a 2-light curvilinear window and a segmental arch leading to the chapel. The transept includes projecting single-storey flat-roofed vestries and a 4-light window above.

Inside, the chancel is notable for its richly painted barrel roof, panelling, organ-case, and reredos, which date from 1920. The chancel screen and pulpit are made of carved wood. The nave arcades are supported by chamfered square piers, and the ceiling is painted. Most fittings and decorations were designed by Nicholson, except for the font, which dates from 1675 and was created by Sir Christopher Wren. This font is made of alabaster with an oak cover, featuring an octagonal, fluted bowl and a stem with a foliate base. It was brought from St Mary le Bow in Cheapside, London, and purchased in 1898, inscribed with "The gift of Francis Dashwood Esq 1675." Nicholson's work on the church is characterized by clearly articulated forms, a strongly textured exterior, and very complete fittings and decoration.

Local climate

Church of St Alban the Martyr receives an average of 760 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 66% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 61% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 12 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 89% of listed buildings. Of these, 6 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

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