Listed Building: CHURCH OF ST PHILIP (1333221)

Church. 1936-38. By Sir Ninian Comper. Red brick in Flemish bond, stone dressings. Welsh slated roofs. Aligned north-west/south-east, liturgical east used in this description. PLAN: 4-bay aisled nave, 1-bay chancel, west porch, choir vestry and organ loft. EXTERIOR: east face: chancel with large 6-light stone curvilinear traceried window. Brick band, small diamond window and stone coped facing gable. To right is a projecting flat roofed vestry with four 6-pane casements and projecting front of church hall (of no special interest). North face: aisle with diagonal offset brick buttresses and buttress at centre each terminating with stone pointed pinnacle. To left and right of central buttress are two 3-light stone Y traceried windows with similar window to right return and chancel. Below window to right of central buttress is a recessed 8 panelled door with stone splayed ogee arch and jambs. West face: at centre is a 2-leaf 12-panelled door with similar ogee arched stone surround, set under pointed arch with hoodmould, stone infill to spandrels. To left is a corner splayed organ loft access staircase with stone slabbed roof and in front a low 1-storey choir vestry with on left an 8-panelled 2-leaf door and on right a 4-light stone mullioned window set under flat arch, brick parapet with moulded stone cornice. Nave has facing stone coped gable with kneelers. Stone bellcote with round-arched opening and flanking Ionic pilasters, cornice and facing stone pediment. North face: 3 windows similar to south with on left an 8-panelled 2-leaf door leading to church hall. INTERIOR: 4-bay nave with wide aisles. Each north and south arcade has 4 pointed plaster arches with Composite Corinthian columns supporting plaster mock quadripartite vaulting; Composite pilasters to walls and corners of aisles. The east window to chancel has stained glass depicting a figure of Christ with figures of angels in the smaller lights. The ciborium stands across the chancel with gilded Corinthian columns supporting a superstructure of round arches with a quadripartite vault surmounted by cornice. Blue and gilt decoration with painted angels and apostles. Eagle perched above columns at each corner hold the chains of suspended censers. At west end is an octagonal font with gilded and painted "tempietto" colonnaded cover. The organ loft projects into the west bay of the nave supported on Doric columns, and the organ case is richly decorated with painted holy figures. Ceiling beneath organ loft panelled with painted shields in gilt surrounds. (Balfour Alan: Portsmouth: Highgate Hill, London N19: 1970-: 80; Lloyd DW: Buildings of Portsmouth and its Environs: Portsmouth: 1974-: 133; The Buildings of England: Pevsner N & Lloyd DW: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight: Harmondsworth: 1973-: 464, 465; A Brief History and Description of St Philip's Cosham 1937-87: Church Guidebook: 1987-). Selected Sources Book Reference - Title: A Brief History and Description of St Philips Cosham 1937-1987 - Date: 1987 Book Reference - Author: Balfour, A - Title: Portsmouth - Date: 1970 - Page References: 80 Book Reference - Author: Lloyd, D W - Title: Buildings of Portsmouth and its Environs - Date: 1974 - Page References: 133 Book Reference - Author: Pevsner, N and Lloyd, D - Title: The Buildings of England: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight - Date: 1973 - Page References: 464,465