Listed Building: 247 FRATTON ROAD (1104278)

Church institute, then Victory radio station, now Portsmouth Housing Association offices. 1899-1907. By Sir R Blomfield. Red brick in Flemish bond. Steep plain tiled roof, stone coped brick stack to right. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys, 7 bays (1st bay blinded). Far right bay projects and has stone rusticated quoins. At centre is a C20 2-leaf door, flanking pilasters, shaped brackets support flat corniced hood, 2 narrow side casements all set under round gauged brick arch with stone springers and keystone. To left and to right are two 24-pane sashes, each set under flat gauged brick arch with keystone. Prominent full height brick piers on left quoin, between windows and between door and window, each with hollowed stone coping; stone band and projecting plinth below sill level. First floor has 5 16-pane sashes each with segmental gauged brick head and set under pier to pier segmental gauged brick arch. Far left bay is blinded and has stone band on line of adjacent window arch springers. Bracketed projecting eaves. Cupola at centre has square rusticated base, circular window on each side with heavy moulded surround, cornice, angled corners with Doric columns and entablature, 12-pane casement on each side, copper dome with finial. Far right projecting bay has 20-pane circular window to first floor set within gauged brick surround with keystone, stone band at centre of window level, fascia hipped roof. Left return has facing stone coped gable, acroteria at corners and apex, two 24-pane sashes and on first floor a Venetian window within gable with Doric columns and entablature. INTERIOR not inspected. (Lloyd DW: Buildings of Portsmouth and its Environs: Portsmouth: 1974-: 128 AND 129; The Buildings of England: Pevsner N & Lloyd DW: Hampshire: Harmondsworth: 1973-: 442). Selected Sources Books and journals Lloyd, D W , Buildings of Portsmouth and its Environs, (1974), 128,129 Pevsner, N, Lloyd, D, The Buildings of England: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, (1973), 442