Church of St George, Tilehurst, Reading

Church of St George, Tilehurst, Reading

A garrison and parish church designed by Sidney Gambier Parry in 1884 and built in 1885–6. The church is constructed of local red brick with narrow banding in grey brick, some stone dressings, and tiled roofs.

The plan comprises a four-bay nave with a chancel and polygonal apse, a north aisle with vestries, and a north porch to the west. Later southern additions include the eastern section of an incomplete south aisle, a south Lady Chapel to the east with a polygonal apse, and a small porch.

The south elevation, currently the main entrance, is compromised by the incomplete south aisle. The bays are defined by offset buttresses, with the arcade of the incomplete south aisle expressed in the external brick wall through red and grey brick headers. The western bay contains a plain pointed-arched entrance, while the central two bays have graduated triple lancets. The 1936 eastern bay of the south aisle, together with the south chapel and porch, form a distinct composition, with triple lancets of equal height to the aisle, graduated triple lancets to the gabled chapel, and a flat-roofed porch. The west wall of the partial aisle is blind, with grey brick banding and grey brick to window heads; these bays are also defined by offset buttresses. A low brick wall with ironwork from the mid-to-late 20th century defines the remaining area of the intended south aisle.

The gabled north porch has a pointed-arched doorway beneath a stone hoodmould with a recessed vesica above, and a stone cross to the apex of the gable. The north elevation has pilasters separating groups of windows; lancet windows are arranged in pairs, with a triplet below an eastern gable. An unbroken string course of moulded brick runs at cill level with roll moulding following the window arches. Grey brick banding continues around the chancel apse, the apsidal end of the Lady Chapel, and the west elevation. The apse has tall single lancets to each face, defined by a stone string course and roll moulding. The west end displays a group of four stepped lancets with a crowning oculus beneath three stone hoodmoulds, with stone dressings marking the eaves and roof apex. A gabled bellcote banded with stone rises over the east end of the nave.

The interior has a four-bay nave with a north aisle, the arcade comprising wide pointed red and grey brick arches springing from square stone capitals on plain circular shafts of red sandstone. A corresponding arcade to the south frames the windows and doorway in place of the incomplete aisle. North aisle windows have deeply splayed jambs. The lofty nave roof is of hammerbeam construction. The church walls are of bare red brick, though largely painted white in the 1970s. The floor is of timber parquet, with encaustic tiles in the chancel and sanctuary.

The chancel is demarcated by a tall chancel arch and low stone walls with a Gothic wrought-iron screen given in 1889; the sanctuary is protected by a timber rail with open trefoil-headed panels. The sedilia has a cinquefoil arch and the piscine a trefoil arch. Tall lancets in the apse have deeply splayed jambs linked by roll moulding. Fine stained glass erected by congregation members in 1896 includes west windows depicting 'Faith', 'Hope', 'Charity' and 'Purity', with Christ above in the oculus. Stained glass memorial windows to the north wall depict characters including St Alban, St George, and King Alfred by A L Moore.

The carved timber reredos is gilded with a Crucifixion and saints in niches and crosses of St George above. An organ circa 1890 by Gray and Davison stands to the north of the chancel. The vestries are divided from the north aisle by sliding timber doors with Gothic panelling given circa 1903, with barrel ceilings and original timber cupboards and furnishings.

A hexagonal Jacobean pulpit, brought from the Church of St Andrew, Sonning, stands on a Victorian base. Oak choir stalls have trefoil tracery to the fronts and poppyhead finials. The nave originally had chairs rather than pews, replaced post 2010. An octagonal sandstone font carved with Celtic cross medallions has been moved from its original position at the northwest corner to the centre of the west end.

The church contains a collection of war memorials of the Royal Berkshire Regiment, including those commemorating the South African Campaign of 1899–1902 and the Crimean War of 1854–1856, together with plaques commemorating individuals and the Regimental colours. A First World War dedication to those who lost their lives appears amongst other memorials on the north wall.