Church Of St Mark

SO 92 SW; 630-1/1/241

CHELTENHAM, CHURCH ROAD (North-West side), Church of St Mark

(Formerly Listed as: CHURCH ROAD Parish Church of St Mark)

14/12/83

GV

II

Parish church. 1860-66, with transepts of 1888. Architect, John Middleton, his earliest in Cheltenham; builder, John Alcock, with tower-spire built by Messers Wingate and Sons of Gloucester. Cost £3,540. Drilled Cotswold stone with Bath stone quoins and dressings, Forest of Dean stone forming alternating polychromy in voussoirs; red tile roof. Gothic Revival, Decorated style. PLAN/EXTERIOR: 5-bay aisled nave with double transepts and 2-bay chancel; 3-stage tower to west with corner pinnacles and broach spire. Central gabled south porch. Circular clerestory windows with cusped and foiled tracery. Angle buttresses. Chancel has carved head-stops to drips and carved decoration to buttresses. INTERIOR: Decorated style interior with tall chancel arch and west tower arch, stone pulpit with naturalistic carving, medievalising red/buff tiles in the sanctuary, choir stalls, font with naturalistic carving and benches in the nave. Raked gallery in the west tower. The east window (c1880) has glass by Kempe. HISTORICAL NOTE: John Middleton designed several churches in Cheltenham including All Saints, All Saints Road (qv); St Philip and St James, Gratton Road (qv); St Stephen, St Stephen's Road (qv); and Holy Apostles, London Road, Charlton Kings (qv).

(Sampson A and Blake S: A Cheltenham Companion: Cheltenham: 1993-: 116; Blake S: Cheltenham's Churches and Chapels AD 773-1883: Cheltenham: 1979-: 36-7; Sladen T: Notes: 1995-).

Listing NGR: SO9283722014