Church of St Paul

Reasons for Designation

Built in 1843 to the designs of Dr Hocking in the Early English lancet style and extended in 1893 by J.W. Touson, the Church of St Paul is an interesting early Victorian Gothic church, largely complete and with an impressively spacious interior with most of the furnishings intact.

Details

PENZANCE

866/0/10019 CLARENCE STREET
26-NOV-01 (West side)
CHURCH OF ST PAUL

GV II
Anglican church. 1843; by Dr Hocking; west porch added 1886; extended 1893 by J.W. Touson. Coursed granite with granite dressings. Steeply pitched slate roof with granite coping to gables with apex crosses.
PLAN: Originally cruciform on plan with broad and short nave and north and south transepts and sanctuary. In 1886 a porch was built at the west end. In 1893 the north transept was extended to form a large north aisle with a small north porch, and an organ chamber was built in the east angle of the south transept.
Early English style.
EXTERIOR: West front has two gables, the nave on right advanced, with elaborate granite bellcote at apex and granite porch with moulded 2-centred arch and door with wrought-iron hinges; both gabled nave on right and recessed aisle on left have granite angle buttresses and large triple lancets with continuous hoodmoulds and foil at head of each lancet, below aisle window a large dated tablet. Left [N] return gabled to left of centre, lancets and small gabled stone porch on right. East elevation has two gables with triple lancets with continuous hoodmoulds, aisle on right set back, organ chamber projecting on left has lancet and narrow pointed arch doorway.
INTERIOR: Spacious interior with plastered walls and guilded timber high pointed arch-braced roof on false hammerbeams; broad short nave opens into wide north aisle; small 2-bay granite arcade. Large lancet windows with slender shafts, some with stained glass by Willement. Flanking east window are Commandment boards and below is ornate reredos, all painted and guilded. Sedilia and piscina. Communion rail. Eagle lectern of 1907.Large granite pulpit of circa 1870. Serpentine font. Altars removed. Choir stalls moved to south transept. Seating in nave and aisle with poppy-head bench ends. Quarry tile floors.
NOTE: the church was the gift of Rev. Henry Batten, curate of St Mary's, and built as a proprietary chapel for use by supporters of the Oxford Movement.
SOURCES: [1] Buildings of England, p.139. [2] Penzance Gazette, 26th April 1843.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

500289

Legacy System:

LBS

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