Church of St Matthew, with Boundary Walls and Paving, Widcombe, Bath and North East Somerset

Description

WIDCOMBE HILL
656-1/42/1904 (North side)

Church of St Matthew, with boundary walls and paving
12/06/50

GV II

Anglican parish church. 1846-1847, with C20 alterations. By Manners and Gill.
MATERIALS: Limestone ashlar, slate roofs.
PLAN: Wide nave and chancel flanked by wide full length north and south aisles, forming hall church space within, but to separate roofs and triple gabled ends, with common ridge height, south-west tower with broach spire, and south porch. North-east end prominent two storey wing with vestry, over boiler house, and crypt under western half of main nave and aisles.
STYLE: Design in Decorated style.
EXTERIOR: Tower, set in single bay from west end, in three stages, with diagonal buttresses, to very high plinth, and with slender octagonal broach spire on Lombard band. 150' spire has two rows of lucarnes, to alternate faces, and decorative band near finial. Windows generally have Decorated tracery with ogees and mouchettes, and to moulded drip courses to stops. Top stage of tower has two two-light louvred windows to each face, to moulded string above small lancets to three faces, and clock to west. Below further moulded string high storey containing three light window to south, and to east pair of plank doors to decorative strap hinges, under moulded drip, and on stone steps. To left single bay of south aisle, with two light window, and square buttress inset from corner, which has diagonal buttress. Re-entrant angle octagonal stair turret, with plank door to shouldered lintel. To right of tower two two-light windows, deep gabled porch with pair of plank doors to decorative strap hinges, and further two light to right. Four square buttresses, plus diagonal buttress to east end, and whole set to deep plinth, and with moulded sill band. East end has coped high gables, with three,four, and three light windows, with cusped lights also at transom-level, to sill band, with square dividing and end diagonal buttresses, and stepped weathered copings. At valleys are original square cast iron hopperheads. North side detailed as to south, but single bay to west vestry extension. To east two cusped lancets above two light with straight head and drip, and diagonal-plank door to cusped head, with octagonal turret with further plank door and stone pinnacle at corner. North gable has two light window below large corbel, and stack, and return front has two lancets above two two-lights. West front, set high with crypt wall below, similar to east, with three, five, and three-light windows, in deep plinth wall with three offsets central diagonal-plank door to shouldered head, further plank door far left. Steep gabled lucarne visible at west end of nave south roof slope. Several of original cast iron hopperheads remain, and one to north side carries date MDCCCXLVII.
INTERIOR: In process of re-ordering at time of survey (May 1994). In tower base, to right, stone screen with cusped opening and side-lights, to straight moulded parapet, in front of entrance door. Broad five bay nave plus single bay chancel, flanked by six bay wide aisles with east chapels. Arcades are on octagonal piers to square bases and octagonal moulded capitals, with double-chamfered arches. Chancel arch and flanking arches are moulded, and chancel has six bay decorative stone screens to arches each side. Roofs all double collar, braced to corbels, alternately with shafts to lower corbels at bay spacings, and simple panelled soffits. Floors are softwood plank, but Minton tile to chancel, with two marble steps to sanctuary, with altar rail having cusped triangular panels. Stone reredos (by C.E. Davies), and octagonal stone pulpit. East end of south aisle contains very large pipe organ, and timber screen to north aisle chapel. Full height late C20 screen wall has been fitted, closing off two west bays of nave and aisles. Wide arched opening to vestry wing filled with timber screen, with Gothick detail and cresting, and Royal Arms. Crypt not inspected.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: To west, south and east church enclosed by stone walls with very heavy coping having double-wave mould weathering. At west end dressed walling set on battered retaining wall, and extends across south aisle and nave only. To street it returns, in series of steps, first to tower base, then resumes beyond, with opening to flight of four inset sandstone steps. It continues, with further smaller opening, and returns to full width of east end of building, following slope of Hatfield Buildings, at this end wall rises well above plinth level of east end, with high retaining wall below bold weathered string. Across terrace on south of church, and in sunk well to east, area paved with good sandstone flags, and these, with walls, are important original adjunct to church. A prominently sited building, embodying the early C19 growth of Widcombe: it was established in order to supplement the overcrowded St Thomas¿s church, and provided 1250 new seats, of which 500 were free. A Very prominent building, its 155 ft. with spire being visible over much of the city. Stylistically it is a highly characteristic example of the first wave of Gothic Revival churches., and located just above the Kennet and Avon Canal. Design all very correct and sharp, and has air of engraving of Victorian church.
SOURCES: J. Orbach, Card Index of Bath Architects and Streets (1978); R.E.M. Peach, Bath Old and New (1891), 112; H. Colvin, A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1660-1840 (1978), 537.

Listing NGR: ST7560064208

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