Listed Building: CHURCH OF ST LUKE (1104307)

Church. 1858-61. By Thomas Hellyer of Ryde. Flint with stone dressings. Welsh slated roofs. STYLE: Neo-Norman. PLAN: 5 bay nave with aisles. 1 bay chancel with apsidal sanctuary, south-east vestry, west bellcote. Aligned north-west/south-east. Liturgical east used in this description. EXTERIOR: north face has offset flat buttresses, clasped at corners, stone coped plinth. On left (east) is a recessed boarded door set under round stone arch and jambs. To left is 1 and to right 4 paired windows each with leaded lights set under stone round arch, rusticated jambs and sill. Projecting brick eaves. At far right (west) is a mid C20 passage entrance to church from church hall (of no special interest). Nave has 5 timber mullioned and transomed dormer clerestory windows with leaded lights. At centre of slightly projecting west face is a 2-leaf boarded door with ornate iron strap hinges set under splayed stone round arch with hoodmould, rusticated jambs. To left and right are 2 narrow round-headed windows each set under round stone arch, rusticated jambs. A similar window is set within niche pilaster buttress on left and right. Second tier windows have at centre a tall recessed window with leaded lights set within stone splayed and roll-moulded round arch with hoodmould, flanking colonnettes supporting springers. Closely spaced on each side are 2 shorter narrow recessed round-arched windows, each arch with zig-zag ornament, moulded imposts banded to left and right. Horizontal hoodmould over each pair. 3rd tier over central window is a narrow round-headed window under stone arch, hoodmould, rusticated jambs. Slightly projecting centre bay, stone bellcote with round-arched opening, flanking pilasters and corner buttresses, facing gable with finial. Each aisle with lower roof has a recessed 2-leaf boarded door set under round stone arch and jamb. South face has similar round-headed windows as north face. At far left (west) is a projecting boiler house with, on west face, a narrow boarded door set under round stone arch, facing stone gable. East face of sanctuary apse has 3 narrow windows with leaded lights each set under stone round arch, jambs and sill. Flanking pilaster buttresses, projecting brick eaves with stone Lombard frieze. To left of chancel is a low vestry with lean-to roof, 20-pane casement set under flat stone arch, jambs and sill. On left return of vestry a boarded door set under round stone arch. INTERIOR: 5-bay nave arcade has yellow brick columns with red brick bands, stone scalloped capitals and base, round stepped grey brick arches with hoodmoulds. Clerestory dormer windows each with patterned stain glass at top, lower part plain glass. Hammer beam roof with curved principals, diagonal boarded ceiling to underside of rafters. Aisle windows have similar stained glass at tops. Boarded ceiling lower than nave. Round red brick chancel arch with 'Norman' billet ornament at intrados, yellow brick pilasters and red brick bands, scalloped stone cap. Centre window of apsed sanctuary has stained glass. To left and right are 2 round-headed plaques each with flanking colonnettes. Timber panelled dado up to window sill level with dentilled cornice. Curved boarded ceiling with rafters seated on stone corbels. Vestry door on south side. Vestibule at west end with timber-framed screen and leaded lights, organ loft with projecting balcony. High level west window has stained glass. (The Buildings of England: Lloyd DW: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight: Harmondsworth: 1973-: 440; The Portsmouth Papers: Habbuck R: Portsmouth: 1969-: 24; Offord J: Church, Chapels and Places of Worship in Portsea Island: Southsea: 1989-: 44, 45, 46). Selected Sources Books and journals Offord, J , Churches Chapels and Places of Worship on Portsea Island, (1989), 44,45,46 Pevsner, N, Lloyd, D, The Buildings of England: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, (1973), 440 Hubbuck, R, 'The Portsmouth Papers' in Portsmouth, (1969), 24