Church Of St Alban

PORTSMOUTH

SU60SE COPNOR ROAD, Copnor 774-1/4/131 (East side) 25/09/72 Church of St Alban

II

Church. 1914. By Sir Charles Nicholson (west end rebuilt following Second World War bomb damage, 1956, by Dykes Bower). Red brick in English bond. Plain tiled roofs. Simplified Neo-Gothic style. PLAN: 5-bay nave and aisles, chancel 3-bays, north Lady Chapel and south vestry. West bell tower. EXTERIOR: north face of aisle has 5 narrow lancet windows with diamond pattern leaded lights each set under brick header pointed arch, brick sill. Brick buttress at far left, far right and centre. 7 similar clerestory windows to nave. Chancel has 3 long narrow lancet windows with flanking buttresses to centre window. Projecting from chancel is a low flat-roofed Lady Chapel with two, and on left return (west) one 3-light stone mullioned window each set under ogee stone lintel, rusticated stone jambs and sill. To right of aisle is a porch with lean-to roof; recessed 2-leaf boarded door with panelled overlight set under brick pointed arch. Each face of lower roofed chancel has 2 tall lancet windows set within recessed brick face. Facing stone coped gable. East face of south vestry has 3 small lancet headed windows, lean-to roof with brick coped parapet. South face of nave and chancel have similar lancet windows to north. At centre of west face of nave is a 2-leaf boarded door set under flat concrete lintel and approached by open arcaded 3-bay portico with pointed brick arches. Over entrance within facing gable is a stone traceried rose window. To left is a 2-stage brick bell tower. 1st stage with lancet window and narrower 2nd stage with 2 lancet windows on each side, brick dentilled eaves and pyramidal roof. INTERIOR: nave arcades have octagonal stone piers and pointed arches. Roof king post trusses with slightly pitched panelled ceiling. Flat panelled ceiling to aisles with painted timber beams. Chancel has square pattern flat timber ceiling with red painted beams and gold leafed base, at intersection. West end windows have stained glass. (Lloyd DW: Buildings of Portsmouth and its Environs: Portsmouth: 1974-: 131, 132; Buildings of England: Pevsner N & Lloyd DW: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight: Harmondsworth: 1973-: 434, 435; Offord John: Churches, Chapels and Place of Worship on Portsea Island: Southsea: 1989-: 12).

Listing NGR: SU6610802158