Church Of St George

Church of St George, Portsmouth

A church built in 1754, probably by Nicholas Vass, and situated in St George's Square, Portsea. The building was damaged by bombs during the Second World War and underwent restoration in 1952 and 1972.

The church is constructed of red brick with grey headers laid in English bond, with plain tiled hipped roofs. Its architectural style is described as "New England Colonial". The building is aligned north-west to south-east, with the liturgical east used as the primary reference direction.

The plan consists of a 3-bay aisled nave with a north-east vestry, a main entrance porch at the west, and balcony access pavilions also at the west.

On the south face, there are two tiers of five wood mullioned and transomed windows with plain glass leaded lights. At ground floor level, each window is set beneath a round gauged brick arch with keystone and stone imposts. On the first floor, each window is set under a cambered gauged brick arch with keystone. The south face has projecting brick eaves and a brick band with stone coped parapet.

To the west is a low flat-roofed balcony access wing with a blinded recessed window opening set under a gauged brick round arch with keystone.

The west face of the nave projects slightly and has three tiers of wood windows with brick bands between them. At the centre is a headed window similar to those on the south face. The second and third tiers each have three mullioned windows set under gauged brick cambered arches with keystones. The flanking windows to the third tier are blinded. The parapet is a facing stone coped parapet gable, broken by a wood bell turret with lead roof, gold ball, and weather vane. On each side of the turret is a round-headed opening with flanking Doric columns. The left and right aisles have sloping stone coped parapets.

Projecting from the north and south aisles are low balcony access pavilions, each with a similar round-headed window and facing stone coped gable. On the inward return of each pavilion is a 6-panelled door with moulded architrave and entablature.

The north face is similar to the south face but features four windows in each of the two tiers. A circa 1900 entrance projection extends to the left (east).

The east face is partially obscured by a later church hall of no special interest. At the centre is a Venetian window with plain glass leaded lights, Doric flanking pilasters, entablature, a round-headed stone arch to the centre with keystone, a gauged brick relieving arch, and a keystoned oculus. On the far left and right are blinded round-arched window openings.

In the interior, the east face displays a Venetian window with Doric pilasters and entablature, flanked by round-headed blind panels within a moulded surround set within a recessed round-headed panel. Quarter Corinthian column pilasters stand to the left and right of the recess with ornate brackets supporting the entablature. Four large Tuscan columns surround the central space with a barrel vaulted ceiling. Balconies to the west, north, and south are supported by timber fluted piers set on high pedestals.