Church Of St Gregory

Church of St Gregory

A Roman Catholic Church designed by Charles Hansom for the Benedictine Order, built between 1854 and 1857, with the tower and south porch added in 1859 and the west end completed in 1875. The church was consecrated in 1876. A presbytery extension was added around the 1970s. The builder was Mr Acock of Cheltenham, with completion of the church and much of the carving undertaken by Boulton of Cheltenham. The reredos was made by Farmer of London and the stained glass by Hardman.

The church is constructed of stone with ashlar and Aberdeen granite dressings beneath a plain tile roof. It is built in the Middle Pointed style. Unusually, the church is not oriented in the conventional manner but has its chancel at the south end. The plan is cruciform with a five-bay aisled nave with clerestory and west chapels. A three-stage west tower with octagonal spire stands at the west end. The transept contains a south-east Lady Chapel and north-east sacristy, and there is a two-bay chancel.

The exterior has a chamfered plinth throughout. All windows feature Decorated-style tracery to their heads. The tower is distinguished by angle buttresses and a gabled top surmounted by pinnacles with finials to the corners of an enriched parapet. Each face of the parapet contains a canopied niche with figures of saints: George, Ambrose, Gregory and Augustine. A stair turret rises to the north-east.

The entrance is set in the west end with two plank doors in a Caernarven arch, separated by a banded column and surmounted by a figure of St Gregory the Great. Carved panels in the tympanum depict St Gregory's visit to Britain and St Augustine preaching to Ethelbert, King of Kent. The doorway has three orders of arches on columns with foliate capitals and a decorated ogee hoodmould. A moulded band marks the first stage, with a four-light west window above and a clock positioned to the west and south sides. The belfry windows are two-light with a column between and a single order of arches. The spire features two tiers of lucarnes.

The south porch occupies the second bay and is gabled, with double pointed doors within an arch supported on clustered column responds with a cusped cinquefoil head and foliate decorations. The hoodmould has headstops. A figure of Christ enthroned appears above. Copings and a cross finish the apex. To the west of the porch stands a gabled chapel with buttresses, a three-light window with four-centred arch and two lancet windows with tracery to their heads on the west side, all featuring hoodmoulds and face stops.

The south aisle's first bay contains three two-light windows; the remaining bays each have three two-light windows. The north aisle has similar fenestration. The clerestories have stepped and cusped three-light windows in chamfered surrounds. The tall gabled transepts feature four-light pointed windows with hoodmould and face stops to the south, these supported on angel corbels. The Lady Chapel has two two-light windows with continuous hoodmould and face stops, and a three-light east window with an ogeed hood rising to a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The chancel is lit by a five-light east window with hoodmould and face stops, with a small window to the apex. A belcot rises over the chancel arch.

The interior features aisles with double-chamfered pointed arcades on clustered columns, with similar arches to the west end of the nave supported on angel corbels and continuous hoodmoulds. Taller double-chamfered arches serve the crossing and chancel, all with hoodmoulds and clustered column responds. The south-west chapel contains an octagonal font on short columns with quatrefoils to the faces, and ornate ironwork balustrade.

A west screen has three arches on clustered columns with foliate capitals and four figures of saints on column corbels at balustrade level, which features blind tracery. The pulpit, by Boulton, depicts Christ preaching on the Mount, together with St Gregory and St Benedict. The reredos contains canopied niches with figures of the Evangelists alongside SS Gregory and Benedict. Fourteen Stations of the Cross, also by Boulton, are displayed throughout. Cornices are enriched with carved paterae. The ceilings to the chapels and sanctuary have painted panels. The nave roof is arched-braced, with principals springing from circular shafts with moulded caps and bases. A complete set of Hardman windows illuminates the interior.

The west tower and spire form a prominent local landmark and significant townscape feature. The church adjoins The Old Priory at No.70 Clarence Street.