Monument MPM4 - Domus Dei/Royal Garrison Church

Medieval hospital founded in c1212 by Peter des Roches Bishop of Winchester and dedicated to St John and St Nicholas. The hospital was dissolved in 1540/1 and post-1581 the surviving buildings were incorporated into a new residence for the Governor of Portsmouth which stood on the site until 1826. Known as the Royal Garrison Church from the 19th century onwards, the remaining structure is all that survives of the earlier hospital complex. During restoration work in the 1860s and 1870s parts of the church were reconstructed and rebuilt and a bell turret and south porch added. The nave has been a shell since the roof was destroyed during a bombing raid on the 10th January 1941.

'Domus Dei' founded AD 1212 and dedicated to St John and St Nicholas. Suppressed AD 1540. AS Garrison Church modified by Street in 1866. Nave bombed 1941. Chapel intact. Out buildings, as shown on mid-16th century plans, must exist in foundation plan beneath turf. References VCH (Hants) III p191. 'The Story of Domus Dei, Portsmouth' - Wright. [1]

Medieval hospital of St Nicholas and St John founded in c1212 by Peter des Roches, Bishop of Winchester. The hospital was known as the Domus Dei (God's House). The infirmary chapel, now the Royal Garrison Church, is the only surviving structure from a larger complex of buildings that served as a hostel for pilgrims and a hospital for the sick and elderly. The surviving structure would originally have consisted of an aisled hall (now the ruined nave) and a chapel behind a wall in the east end (the surviving chancel). Medieval hospitals placed the beds in bays in the aisles within sight of the chapel. [2]

The hospital's community consisted of six brethren and six sisters under a warden. The Domus Dei was dissolved in 1541, and the building briefly used as an ammunition store. In c1582 the surviving buildings were incorporated into a new residence for the Governor of Portsmouth (The Governor's House), the old infirmary and chapel becoming the Governor's chapel. [3]

The Governor's House was demolished in 1826. The chapel survived, becoming known as the Royal Garrison Church, although it was in need of renovation by the 1840s. During 19th century restoration works elements of the church were reconstructed, repaired or rebuilt. An octagonal bell turret and south porch were also added. The roof of the nave was destroyed during a bombing raid on the 10th January 1941, and this part of the church has been a shell ever since. The chancel survived the bombing. [4]

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Domus Dei, 'House of God', founded 1210-14 by William de Wrotham, Keeper of the King's Ships, and Peter des Roches, Bishop of Winchester. Religious community acting as hospital for travellers, the poor and sick.

The hospital buildings may originally have been constructed from wood. Present building may date from building works carried out by Peter des Roches c1230-1235.

The hospital complex occupied a rectangular precinct, the south side of which would have been lined with buildings including a hall, kitchen and chambers, which no longer survive.

The Domus Dei closed on the 2nd June 1540 when it was surrendered to the crown during the Dissolution of the Monasteries by the last warden, John Incent. Subsequently used as an armoury and munition store until some point in the 17th century. Converted into the residence for the Military Governor of Portsmouth post-1581. The governor's residence was added to the south side of the surviving chapel and the remaining medieval hospital buildings were demolished. Became the chapel for the town garrison at some point during the 17th century.

King Charles II and Catherine of Braganza were married in the Governor's House by Gilbert Sheldon, Bishop of London, on the 21st May 1662.

The Governor's House was demolished in 1826, but the Garrison Church was retained. The building had been substantially altered since the 16th century, including a replacement roof and large plain windows in the nave and chancel, the east window being the only one to retain its original 13th century design.

Restoration work carried out by George Edmond Street between 1866 and 1868. Elizabethan west front demolished to expose the western bay of the nave. Nave restored with two-light windows, steeply pitched roof and bell turret. Walls and railings surrounding the churchyard also added at this time.

Vestry and south porch added 1871-2. Stained glass windows by Clayton & Bell.

Roof of the nave and stained glass windows destroyed by incendiaries during a bombing raid on the 10th January 1941. Chancel roof mended but nave remains a shell. Commemorative stained glass windows added to chancel between 1959 and 1987.

[5]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The north and south column foundations and associated plinths were observed within a trench excavated between the chancel and the nave during an archaeological watching brief in 2022. They were thought to probably be medieval in date. Both columns had a padstone which appeared to have been inserted into the original plinths at a later date, probably during the Victorian period. A small quantity of finds were recovered from the church site during the same watching brief. These included a single sherd of a late medieval or post medieval pottery jar, a single fragment from a 19th or 20th century glass vessel, five 19th century floor tiles installed during restoration work, and fragments of 19th/20th century ceramic building material. [6]

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Excavations by Wessex Archaeology on Governor's Green in 2009 revealed the remains of features and structures relating to the Domus Dei and Governor's House. See records MPM1285 and MPM1287 for further information. [7]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hospital and chapel (Domus Dei), now church. Founded by Bishop Peter des Roches c1212, extensively restored 1886-88 by GE Street. Coursed rubble stone with ashlar dressings. Plain tiled roofs to chancel, chantry and vestry, aisles re-roofed with slate 1994-5; nave has been roofless since being destroyed by bombing during Second World War. STYLE: Early English. PLAN: 5-bay aisled nave, south and west entrance porches. 3-bay chancel, north-east chantry, vestry and organ loft. EXTERIOR: north face has aisle with five 2-light stone window surrounds. Each paired light with lancet head set under pointed stone arch, flanking stepped stone buttresses offset at corners. Chancel has to left and right a similar tall 3-light stone window with pointed arch, rusticated jambs. The organ loft projects in front of chancel centre bay with steep facing gable. Further projection in front is a 3-bay chantry and vestry with 3 short 2-light lancet headed windows, each set under a stone pointed arch. Right return to chantry has a similar but longer 2-light window and facing stone coped gable. To rear at junction with chancel is a large stepped stone stack. West face has a projecting porch with stepped stone opening and pointed arch, facing gable. Flanking stepped stone buttress to left and right and to corners. Over porch is a large 4-light stone window, each light with lancet arch and the whole set under a pointed stone arch with coursed rubble infill to tympanum. Small narrow 3-light slots below apex, each with lancet arch. Steep facing gable. South face has to far left corners of aisle offset stepped buttresses. To right is a projecting porch with facing stone coped gable; stepped opening with pointed arch and stone band at springer level. 4 windows to right are similar to those on north face. Low projecting stonework to right of porch with lean-to stone coping. Projection raised at right hand corner of aisle with small narrow lancet window. Further right at junction of aisle with chancel is a stone octagonal stairs turret with spire and 2 small lancet headed slots. Chancel has 3 similar windows to north face with flanking stepped buttresses, right corner buttress is offset. Below central window is a small boarded door with ornate iron straps set under pointed arch. Projecting stone eaves with corbelled brackets. East face of chancel has 3 tall cusped headed stone windows each set under lancet arch, flanking stepped buttresses. Steep facing stone coped gable. On right is a recessed C20 addition adjacent to vestry at abutment with organ loft. Vestry projects with 3 lancet headed stone windows and cusped oculus. INTERIOR: 5 bay aisled nave. (Nave and aisles damaged by bombing, Second World War. Glass panes to windows missing and structure is roofless. Restoration works commenced 1994). North and south arcades have stone octagonal columns, each with moulded capital and base, pointed stone arches with label moulding. Entrance porches to west and south-west bay. To east is a pointed chancel arch. Chancel has 3 vaulted bays, quadripartite with hollowed cross ribs and centre keel moulding to each bay. Vaulting springs from 3 clustered columns, each with moulded capital and shaft descending to moulded stone string course at sill level with foliage patterned corbel. South side of chancel has boarded door to left and below central window set under stone segmental inner arch. To left is a 3-bay niche, each bay with short stone columns and cusped head with label. Further left is a similar niche but with pointed arches. On north side is a wide opening with pointed stone arch leading to organ loft and access to chantry and chaplain's vestry. East end has 3 long and narrow cusped headed windows set behind flanking attached columns, each with pointed arch. Central window longer than flanking windows. East chancel bay has decorative patterned tiling up to sill level. STAINED GLASS: chancel has 1959 stained glass to east windows, by Carl Edwards depicting biblical figures. North windows stained glass 1904 and 1987 by Harold Thomas depicting Second World War 8th Army and Royal Artillery. South windows stained glass 1967 and 1970 by Farrah Bell depicting the history of the church. (Balfour A: Portsmouth: Highgate Hill, London: 1970-: 13; Lloyd DW: Buildings of Portsmouth and its Environs: Portsmouth: 1974-: 12; The Buildings of England: Pevsner N & Lloyd DW: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight: Harmondsworth: 1967-: 404,405,406,407; Offord J: Churches, Chapels and Places of Worship on Portsea Island: Southsea: 1989-: 28).

[8]

<1> Portsmouth City Council, n/a, Portsmouth City SMR Cards, SZ69NW12 (Index). SPM1.

<2> English Heritage, 2004, History and Research: Royal Garrison Church, Portsmouth (Bibliographic reference). SPM111.

<3> Hubbock, Rodney, 1976, Portsea Island Churches (Bibliographic reference). SPM366.

<4> Offord, J, 1989, Churches, Chapels and Places of Worship on Portsea Island (Bibliographic reference). SPM39.

<5> English Heritage, 2026, History of Royal Garrison Church, Portsmouth (Bibliographic reference). SPM691.

<6> Cotswold Archaeology, 2022, Royal Garrison Church, Penny Street, Portsmouth, Hampshire: Archaeological Watching Brief (Unpublished document). SPM638.

<7> Wessex Archaeology, 2010, Governor's Green Portsmouth, Hampshire: Archaeological Evaluation Report (Unpublished document). SPM221.

<8> Historic England, The National Heritage List for England (Index). SPM35.