Description

101831 / 134
768/23/7 ST CLEMENT'S ROAD
11-OCT-01 (South side)
CHURCH OF ST CLEMENT

GV I

23/7 ST CLEMENT'S ROAD

1. (South Side)
5l86

Church of St Clement
SZ 1092 23/7 5.5.52

I GV

2.
1871-3, J D Seddings first major church, tower added 1890-3 after Sedding's death, redesigned above 1st floor level by Henry Wilson. Tower has west doorway in recess under big cusped segmental arch with rubble spandrels (church and tower otherwise of smooth ashlar); 8-light west window with Crucifixion sculpture b. F W Pomeroy over ogee lights and foliage-carved sill, 3 2-light windows to each face of belfry with sculptured medallions on transom, openwork traceried battlements between octagonal turrets on corner buttresses (foliage corbels); bigger stair turret at north-east, central Hertfordshire spike spirelet. Church has north aisle with 3-light windows (west window high up) on continuous sill over moulded plinth, far-projecting castellated lead spouts on brackets to gutter, north porch with statue in gable and intricate iron gates. North chapel (Lady Chapel) has deep flat parapet piered with small quatrefoils; small flat-headed lancets with ogee lights set between gabled buttresses with set-offs, 4-light east window also flat- headed. Tall 2-light windows between buttresses in south wall of nave. South-east vestry of red brick (small Tudor-tyle bricks) with stone dressings: big stone chimney with vertical ribbing and traceried buttresses on west gable, 5-light window to south. Higher organ chamber and oratory, with similar brickwork and chimney, flat parapet. Passage to vicarage, against brick and stone east wall, has timber white-painted cloister openings, 4-centred, under lean-to; hipped roof to entrance lobby. Link to vicarage now broken by siting of new vicarage (1960) further east.
Interior has 5-bay north arcade: acutely pointed arches with thin mouldings carried continuously down into slender piers, interrupted only by thin stringcourse at capital level. Blind frieze of Perp stone panelling at clerestory level, kingpost roof on bowed tiebeams Tall tower arch, west window glass by Holiday circa 1895. North aisle roof also has big tiebeams, on timber wall shafts. Octagonal font with sculptured panels, on steps, cover has crocketed spire over gabled foliage panels. Pulpit also octagonal and with sculptured panels, on octagonal base, railing to steps with Art Nouveau finials added circa 1890. Brass eagle lectern on square base with intricate parapet and pair of statues, made by Barkentin and Krall, 1876. Window over pulpit by Bryans and Webb, tablet to Rev C H Thompson (died 1899). Good bronze bas-relief of Rev W Purton (died 1891), probably by F W Pomeroy flanked by qualtrocentre angels. Timber lobby to north door with linenfold panelling and foliage cornice. Chancel arch (no capitals) encloses elaborate rood screen on pattern of that at Berkeley, Glos: wide spread segmental arch with traceried spandrels under straight cornice, interrupted central by narrow ogee arch with elaborate iron gates. Chancel pointed wagon roof on angel frieze, stencil patterns on walls painted over 1969) dominated by huge reredos of 1882-3, carved by G W Seale: Adoration of Magi flanked by elaborate niches, pinnacled canopy over central gilt cross (original and very fine); east wall to left and right has two tiers of statues under vaulted coving. East window glass by Bryans and Webb (Kempe style), circa 1899, 2 remarkable south windows, circa 1895, by Christopher Whall, brown and silver wash effect. Choir stalls with poppy heads circa 1875, sedilia of timber, with foliage-carved round arches, probably by Brindley, circa 1905, Lady Chapel has stone screen of three 3-light openings with transom, plus ogee arch, stone parolose screen matched by that under organ (wrought-iron balcony) on south of chancel. Lady Chapel walls panelled in stone, reredos with Lily flanked by Annunciation and Expulsion from Garden with pinnacled statue at each end, wagon-roofed ceiling with criss-cross ribs, glass by Westlake. Elaborate encaustic tiles in chancel and chapel, tile patterns also in nave.

Church of St Clement, with Churchyard Cross and Graves, Vicarage Walls, St Clement School, Schoolhouse and No l2A, form a group.

Listing NGR: SZ1072492124

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of St Clement at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17526491

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas