St Paul and St Stephen Church, Gloucester facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Paul and St Stephen Church |
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| 51°51′17″N 2°14′42″W / 51.8546503°N 2.2450565°W | |
| Location | Gloucester, Gloucestershire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | St Paul and St Stephen |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | Alfred King with Capel Tripp |
| Architectural type | English Gothic |
| Years built | 1882 |
| Specifications | |
| Tenor bell weight | ~ |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Paul and St Stephen |
| Diocese | Gloucester |
The St Paul and St Stephen Church is a Church of England church located in Gloucester, Gloucestershire. It is a special place of worship for the local community. This church was formed when two older churches, St Paul's and St Stephen's, joined together.
St Paul's Church was built first, between 1882 and 1883. St Stephen's Church was built later, from 1898 to 1900. In 2010, St Stephen's Church closed, and its community merged with St Paul's. This created the St Paul and St Stephen Church we know today. A school, St Paul's Church of England Primary School, which opened in 1870, is also closely linked to the church.
Contents
History of the Church Buildings
The current church building has a rich history, combining the stories of two important churches in Gloucester.
St Paul's Church: Its Early Years
The building for St Paul's Church was constructed in 1882. The main architect was Alfred King, with Capel Tripp also involved in the design. The church was officially opened and blessed on 11 October 1883 by the Bishop of Gloucester.
Why Was St Paul's Church Built?
The church was built for two main reasons. First, it was needed to serve the growing number of people living in the area. Second, it was a special memorial to Robert Raikes. This was to mark 100 years since he started the Sunday school movement in 1780.
The church cost about £6,500 to build. This money came from a grant by the Incorporated Church Building Society and many donations. A large gift from D.H.D Burr helped a lot. Even with this money, some parts of the original design were not fully completed. For example, the main part of the church, called the nave, was made shorter than planned. The tower was also only partly built and then covered with a roof to make a porch.
Despite these changes, the church was still a large building. It could hold about 600 people, mostly sitting on benches. The church was first called the Raikes Memorial Church. However, it was renamed St Paul's after an effort to get Sunday schools to donate money was not very successful. The church's font, a basin used for baptisms, was given by Edward Scobell, who was an important church leader in Gloucester.
Growth and Changes in the Parish
In 1884, the area around St Paul's became its own church district, or parish. A house built across the street became the home for the church's vicar, or priest. The first vicar, Reverend W.H.S Davies, donated the church's organ at this time. It is located at the south-east end of the building.
In 1885, a part of Tuffley was added to St Paul's parish. Later, in 1888, a special room for parish activities was built in Tredworth Road. This building is now the New Apostolic Church.
Updates and Memorials
Between 1912 and 1915, the east end of the church was updated. A new altar and wooden wall panels were added. In 1914, the area north of the altar was set up as a lady chapel, a smaller chapel often dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
In 1919, a memorial for those who died in World War One was built outside the main entrance. About 3,000 people attended its dedication ceremony. An altar for the chapel was added in 1920. A second room for the clergy, called a vestry, was built in 1931.
From 1938 to 1939, the west end of the church was finally completed. The east side was also restored. These changes were paid for by a gift from Sarah Critchley. This work finished the original design that Capel Tripp had imagined. The nave and aisles were made longer towards the west. A porch was added to the west, and a stone gallery was built in the nave. A beautiful stained glass window was also installed at the east end. In 1952, a new vicarage was bought, replacing the old one across the street.
In the 1980s, the church was updated again. The west end of the nave was changed into a hall, kitchen, meeting room, and toilets. The main altar was replaced with a new, modern one. The World War One memorial in the churchyard was recognized as a Grade II listed building in 2014, meaning it is an important historical structure.
St Stephen's Church: Its Story
In 1895, there was a call to build a new church in the parish of St Luke. The existing Church of St. Luke was to be used as a smaller mission church. However, raising the £6,000 needed for the new church was difficult. This was due to a smallpox epidemic and the start of the Boer War. Because of these problems, the church had to be built in parts.
Reverend H. Proctor of St Luke's bought land for the new building. It was at the corner of Bristol Road and Linden Road. On 24 October 1898, the first foundation stone was laid by Lady Darell.
Building in Stages
By 1900, the first part of the church was built. This included the lady chapel, the chancel (the area around the altar), vestries, and three sections of the nave. This part was blessed on 18 October 1900 by Bishop Elliot. At this time, the church was called St Luke the Less.
In 1909, the parish of St Luke was divided. St Luke the Less became its own parish. The vicarage house for St Luke's was given to this new parish. In 1926, Reverend E. C. Pritchard started raising money to finish the church building. By 1928, another £6,000 had been collected. This included a large grant from the Bishop's appeal fund.
The remaining work was done between 1928 and 1930, following designs by H. A. Dancey. The aisles and nave were made longer towards the west. The west front of the building was added. This included a small bell tower called a bell-cot, two porches, and a baptistery (a place for baptisms).
When the work was finished, the Duchess of Beaufort unveiled a stone marking the completion. The church was then rededicated to St Stephen. However, the parish kept its name, St Luke the Less. In 1935, the original St Luke's church was taken down. In 2010, St Stephen's Church merged with St Paul's Church. All services are now held at the St Paul and St Stephen Church.
There is a memorial inside the church for workers of the Morelands Match Factory who died during World War One. This memorial was originally on the factory wall. The factory closed in 1975.
Architecture and Design
Both St Paul's and St Stephen's churches have distinct architectural styles.
St Paul's Church Design
St Paul's Church is built in the early English Gothic style. This means it has features like tall, narrow windows called lancet windows and pointed arches in the nave. The church is made of limestone.
It includes a special area at the east end called a sanctuary. There are two vestries on the north side. The chancel and nave are connected and have aisles and a clerestory (a row of windows above the main part of the church). There is a small bell tower at the east end. The church also has the first part of a south tower, a west porch, and short outer aisles. A high, pointed arch is at the east end. The font is a round stone bowl supported by eight marble columns.
The World War One memorial in the churchyard is a stone pulpit (a raised stand for speaking). It has eight sides and sits on a base. It is open at the back and has decorative supports at the front. On top, there is a wooden cross with a bronze figure of Jesus.
St Stephen's Church Design
St Stephen's Church is built from brick with stone decorations in a later Gothic style. Originally, it had a chancel with north vestry rooms and a chamber for the organ. It also had a south chapel and a nave with aisles and a clerestory. Later additions included a bell-cot, two porches, and a many-sided baptistery.
