Church Of St Thomas Of Canterbury And Presbytery

The Church of St Thomas of Canterbury and Presbytery is a Roman Catholic church built between 1796 and 1797 by Mrs. Elizabeth Heneage, who also constructed the Roman Catholic Church in Newport. The architect was the Rev. Thomas Gabb, and the builder was Thomas Young of Portsea. The church is made of yellow brick and features five bays, with a buttress between each bay. It has a cornice and a parapet. The northeasternmost bay is blank but includes a porch with Ionic columns and a pediment. The doorcase has pilasters, a segmental fanlight, and six-panelled double doors, with a bellcote above. The other bays have round-headed windows with two lights, stone mullions, and transoms. The southwesternmost bay serves as the Presbytery, which shares the same roof span as the church. This section has three storeys and one window facing the street, along with round-headed windows and a doorcase featuring a semi-circular fanlight. Inside, there is a wooden organ gallery supported by Tuscan columns, and the altar wall has a triglyph and paterae cornice on giant Doric pilasters, with a round-headed arch in the center flanked by putti. This church is notable for being one of the earliest Roman Catholic churches in the area. In the early 19th century, it is reported to have been served by two chaplains from Napoleon's Foreign Legion.