Church Of Ascension

SU 41 SW 983/10/10017

SOUTHAMPTON COBDEN AVENUE (East side) Church of Ascension

II

Anglican church. 1924-6, by Sir Charles Nicholson. Red brick in English bond with stone dressings in Gothic style. PLAN: nave and chancel in one and N and S aisles with chapels at east end; church built on a slope with entrance vestibule under west tower at lower level with stairs to the west ends of the aisles. EXTERIOR: tall aisles with parapets with brick coping; nave with clerestory. Squat west tower [originally intended to be taller] at lower level with plain stair turret on south side, 4-light bell-openings and 2-centred arch west doorway with multiple brick orders. Aisles and clerestory have 3 and 2-light windows with straight heads with cusped ogee lights; north and south transeptal chapels have large lancets. The chancel has canted corners and large rose window with curvilinear tracery in square frame over 5-light lancets and flat roof single-storey vestry below. INTERIOR: plastered walls and stone arcades and dressings. Low-pitched painted roofs, nave roof not painted as intended, finely painted panelled chancel roof. 6-bay arcades with octagonal stone piers with moulded capitals and fillet shafts on nave and aisle sides and with triple-chamfered 2-centred arches; 3-bay arcade to north chancel chapel which has rib-vaulted roof. Large arch to chancel south chapel with organ in loft. Altar by Nicholson, decorated by Randall Blacking. Screens to chapels and later chancel screen in classical style by Blacking. C18 pulpit from King's College Chapel. Font with open ogee cover. Fine stained glass by A.K. Nicholson and G.E.R. Smith, who designed the west window depicting the Ship of the Church. Rib-vaulted entrance vestibule under west tower with stone stairs to aisles. (Sources: Pevsner N and Lloyd D: The Buildings of England: Hampshire and The Isle of Wight: 1967-: 590-592)

Listing NGR: SU4408913949