Church Of St Francis

The Church of St Francis is an 1836 building, likely designed by Jacob Owen, originally constructed as a school for the industrial hamlet of Funtley. It is a Grade II listed building, recognised for its architectural interest and stained glass. The building is constructed of painted stucco with a clay tiled roof and a timber bellcote. It has a T-shaped plan, with the bar forming a former schoolroom now used as the nave, and the stem acting as a short, north-facing chancel. A porch is located to the south, and a second porch, now the organ chamber, to the north-east. A modern vestry extension has been added to the north-west.

The architectural style is Georgian 'Gothick'. Windows and doorways are round-headed and four-centred, with hood-moulds. East, west, and north gables formerly featured tall polygonal chimney stacks, which have since been removed. The east and west windows have three lights with intersecting tracery. The north gable (chancel) has a two-light window. Most other window openings are blocked. The porch doors have simple applied tracery designs; the south porch boasts a traceried overlight.

The interior is simple, with boarded roofs over the nave and chancel. Original pews were removed, leaving only the wrought-iron frontals. Choir stalls now stand freely at the rear of the nave. All other fittings are moveable. The east and west nave windows have plain diamond glazing. The chancel window contains richly-coloured glass depicting the Nativity and Ascension. It dates from around 1850, originally from St Peter’s Church in Duntisbourne Abbots, Gloucestershire, and is said to have been designed by John Ruskin, before being brought to Funtley around 1890.

The building was originally built as a school, on land acquired by the Revd Sir Henry Thompson, vicar of Holy Trinity Church in Fareham. Two classrooms were initially divided by folding wooden partitions allowing for Sunday use as a mission chapel. It was leased by the Fareham School Board in 1876, and passed out of educational use in 1880 when a larger school was constructed nearby. In 1885, following an interior reordering, the church was formally licensed for public worship and became a chapel-of-ease to Holy Trinity. It remained in private hands until it was purchased outright by the parish in 1933. The construction of the M27 motorway in 1976 came within yards of the building, prompting proposals for relocation that were not implemented.