Church Of The Holy Apostles

Church of the Holy Apostles, Charlton Kings

This is a church built between 1865 and 1871, designed by John Middleton with a porch and vestry added to the west end in 1934 and the roof renewed in 1970. The patron was Charles Cook-Higgs, the builder was William Jones of Gloucester, and the interior was probably fitted out by Boulton's of Cheltenham and H H Martyn of Cheltenham.

The church is constructed of rough-faced rubble with ashlar quoins and dressings, and has a plain tile roof. It is designed in the Gothic Revival style, specifically Early Decorated. The plan consists of a six-bay aisled nave with a clerestory, south and north porches, two-bay transept chapels, and an angled apse. The building features a chamfered plinth, sill bands, and off-set buttresses between bays.

The south porch projects prominently and has a pointed opening with piers topped by foliate capitals and a pointed plank door. It is decorated with a sundial and a belfry dated 1868, along with stepped buttresses. The north porch has a gable containing a clock and a cusped doorway. The two-light nave and clerestory windows feature individual Decorated-type tracery to their heads with alternately coloured voussoirs, while the clerestory windows have triangular heads. Similar two-light windows light the apse with hoodmoulds and headstops. The chancel door on the south side has a funnel hood. The transept chapels contain three-light windows with small rose windows above at their east ends. A large west window and oculus feature angel stops and the motto "Gloria etc" on a label. The west end is finished with turrets bearing pinnacles and finials.

The interior is elaborately carved with a scheme depicting church reformers in the nave—English figures in the north aisle and European figures in the south side—as well as the Apostles. The windows have slender pilasters with foliate capitals featuring cavetto and hollow moulding, and roll-moulded hoods with headstops representing reformers and martyrs. The north aisle includes headstops of Wycliffe, Tyndale, Lady Jane Grey, Edward VI, Catherine Parr, Latimer, Cranmer, Ridley, Coverdale, and Hooper. The south aisle includes Jerome of Prague, Jan Huss, Bucer, Melanchthon, Calvin, and Peter Martyr.

The nave arcade is supported on column clusters with foliate capitals and double-chamfered arches with a continuous hoodmould. Carved symbols decorate the stops, including a serpent and phoenix, while the end headstops show Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The clerestory has a continuous band which projects to form plinths for slender columns between windows.

The west end features a carved band of foliage and flowers inscribed with the text "Suffer little children..." and a carved arcade above depicting scenes from the life and ministry of Christ. The apse is elaborately treated with carved fruit, floral, and bird motifs to the dado and foliage above, with a band of foliage running throughout. At clerestory level, the nave arcade contains roundels with symbols of the four apostles. The apse windows have Purbeck marble colonnettes to their sides and alternate black and white stone voussoirs. Two sedilia and a piscina have Purbeck marble columns with foliate capitals, crocketed gables with finials, and angel stops with a central figure of Caritas. The apse roof is supported on short columnar corbels with angel bosses. An alabaster reredos carved with the Last Supper stands within, and the apse floor is laid in Minton tiles.

The transept chapels are defined by two pointed double-chamfered moulded arches with alternating grey and white stone heads resting on column clusters. The south chapel serves as a War Memorial.

The church contains a carved octagonal pulpit depicting Jesus preaching. The font, made of stone, alabaster, and granite, depicts the Baptism and scenes from the life of Christ, and is inscribed "One Lord. One Faith. One Baptism. An offering by Revr. Henry George Liddell 1868." Stained glass fills most windows. The roof was lowered in 1970 to 1972.

A proposed tower and spire for the west side were never built. Charles Cook-Higgs, resident of No. 191 London Road, donated the site in 1862 and contributed £1,000 towards the building cost, though the final cost of approximately £7,000 is reputed to have been met by him. Higgs resisted attempts to have the church consecrated, as he wished to control the appointment of the incumbent. The church could not be consecrated until after his death in 1884. Originally known as the Church of the Twelve Apostles, it was the daughter church of the Church of St Mary, and was not, as has been supposed, built in protest against that church's high church tendencies. It forms a group with the Holy Apostles' Old School, also by Middleton, and a drinking fountain on London Road.

John Middleton designed several other churches in Cheltenham, including All Saints on All Saints' Road, St Mark on Church Road, St Philip and St James on Gratton Road, and St Stephen on St Stephen's Road.