St Mary's Church, Portsea


St Mary's Church, Portsea, stands on the oldest church site on Portsea Island, Hampshire, England, with a history stretching back to the 11th century. Archaeological research indicates that there was a church here in 650, although 1170 is the earliest date in recorded history.

History

Throughout its history the church has played an important role in the life of the island, especially for the local communities of Fratton, Landport and Buckland. The current church was built in the 1880s to a design by Arthur Blomfield. The reredos above the altar is by C E Buckeridge. The church is a major landmark in the city and its tower can be clearly seen rising above the surrounding terraces. The church was built with the support of W. H. Smith, then the First Lord of the Admiralty, to serve the needs of the city and to be an inspiration to all who saw it. The building is a notable example of its era and contains many fine pieces, especially the Walker organ designed for the church. The organ has been described by a contemporary expert as being of "national importance". In addition to building the parish church, a number of other buildings, institutes and mission halls were built to serve all who lived and worked in this area of the city, especially those struggling in what was a deprived area. The history of this period is nationally known and St Mary's holds a place in folk lore, particularly as two vicars at the start of the 20th century went on to become Archbishop of Canterbury and Archbishop of York. The building is Grade II* listed and sits in an extensive churchyard.

Present

While many things have developed in the city around it, St Mary's continues to be a landmark and a place held in the affections of many who live and work in the city. It has witnessed hundreds of marriages over the years, as well as having touched many people's lives through its various mission churches, institutions, clubs, groups and choir. Many regard it as "their" church even though they have long moved out of the geographical parish. The parish itself continues to have "areas of deprivation" covering a large part of Charles Dickens Ward and including the Landport SRB area of need. In recent times the church has also developed as a place for concerts and is used regularly by the Portsmouth Choral Union, the Portsmouth Festival Choir and the Royal Marine School of Music. The building offers good acoustics, onsite parking for a large number of cars and seating for 600 people in one large open space. The churchyard is leased to the city council and is used as a large park area by many people in the midst of a densely populated area. The present church council and congregation are keen to honour the vision and ethos of the builders of the church 120 years ago and ensure it both remains a landmark, serves the needs of the local community and city and seeks to inspire all who visit it. The parish has successfully completed a major renovation and restoration of the main body of the church and in particular the roofs - raising some £1million in grants and funds. It now wishes to move from the work of simple restoration and look at how it can further develop the building and its site so that it continues into the 21st century to fulfil the vision of its builders and to honour the Christian presence in this place for 1,000 years.

Organ

The organ of St Mary's Portsea is an integral part of Canon Edgar Jacob's grand vision for "a mother church of Portsea Island... a beacon to the city of Portsmouth." In 1888 plans for an organ to match the scope and scale of the new building were drawn up. The firm of J. W. Walker were selected to provide a new instrument for the building with George Martin, organist of St Paul's Cathedral, acting as consultant. Plans were made for a grand four manual instrument, but funds were scarce. The result was a three manual instrument of thirty-eight speaking stops, albeit with a four manual console, which was completed in October 1892. The church architect, R. A. Blomfield, had designed an organ case, but this was not installed for another nine years.

Notable clergy

The following priests have been Vicar of St Mary's: