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A brief description of this church is given in a guide book of some years
ago:
The plan is simple and convenient in form and consists of a nave 82 feet
in length and 24 feet in width. The chancel is 35 feet long and 22 feet wide. On
the north side of the nave there is an aisle, vestries and organ chamber. On the
south side of the nave a double transept is thrown out, occupying two bays of
the nave. On the south side of the chancel is placed an apsidal ended Chapel
with a small aisle. The main feature of the church is perhaps the simple dignity
of effect and proportion inside. The church is constructed of Portland stone
with Bath dressings.
 Later
additions by Fellowes Prynne are a chapel in 1903, a baptistery in 1913, and
altar and gradine in 1922, and a War memorial and reredos 1922-6. The
illustration shows a postcard, sent in 1910, of the interior.
The windows, all designed by the architect, are of particular beauty of
design and colour. All the small windows depict various saints and characters
from the Bible. The great east window, placed as a thank offering after the
First World War, shows the Church Triumphant adoring Our Lord. The lights are
filled with images of angels and specific saints, including the church’s patron,
Saint Paul. The colours of the glass are stunning, especially the predominant
blues and mauves, including a violet-coloured sky.
The
west window depicts Christ’s ascension. Of the smaller windows, a particularly
beautiful example is that of St. Gabriel. His robes are rich in colour and
texture, whilst his face is serenely engrossed in his holy book. The window was
installed in memory of a young man who died in 1920. It was fashioned by Percy
Bacon Brothers of London.
The photograph on the right shows a detail of the tabernacle, part of the
altar, where the reserved sacrament is kept.
The undated vintage postcard
shows the exterior. |
