St Paul's is one of several grand Victorian churches that have punctuated the skyline of Leamington Spa, its tall tower and spire being a landmark for anyone approaching the town from the east as we often did, glimpsing it in passing on the fringe of the town centre. I'd long since been inside most of the main churches here but this one had eluded me, until now.

The church was built in 1873-4 to the designs of local architect John Cundall, a man who has made his mark on Leamington Spa in a big way with three major churches and the town hall, all edifices in red brick with stone dressings which seem rather at odds with the otherwise white-washed Regency facades of Leamington town centre, but still somehow as a group forming a secondary local style of their own. The exterior is somewhat difficult to photograph owing to the trees along the main roadside north front, but makes a clear statement that this is an ambitious building.

Within this great brick building is surprisingly light, the red brick of the exterior gives way to lighter hues of decorative brickwork above and white-rendered walls below. It has been more recently successfully re-ordered for modern worship, which has entailed the subdivision of the western bays of the nave into a new reception area with a large gallery space above. There is new seating and furnishing throughout but happily the main original features have been retained. This was probably never a particularly 'high church' parish as witnessed by the non-figurative treatment of the reredos and the window above, with the majority of windows plain glazed aside from the west window and the side chapel.

St Paul's is not normally open outside of services as I'd found out on previous occasions, hence this time being on a pre-arranged trip made all the difference. It is an impressive building which has been imaginatively adapted to modern use.
www.stpl.org.uk/Groups/306896/Home.aspx

Tags:   Leamington Spa church Victorian Warwickshire architecture John Cundall

© All Rights Reserved

St Paul's is one of several grand Victorian churches that have punctuated the skyline of Leamington Spa, its tall tower and spire being a landmark for anyone approaching the town from the east as we often did, glimpsing it in passing on the fringe of the town centre. I'd long since been inside most of the main churches here but this one had eluded me, until now.

The church was built in 1873-4 to the designs of local architect John Cundall, a man who has made his mark on Leamington Spa in a big way with three major churches and the town hall, all edifices in red brick with stone dressings which seem rather at odds with the otherwise white-washed Regency facades of Leamington town centre, but still somehow as a group forming a secondary local style of their own. The exterior is somewhat difficult to photograph owing to the trees along the main roadside north front, but makes a clear statement that this is an ambitious building.

Within this great brick building is surprisingly light, the red brick of the exterior gives way to lighter hues of decorative brickwork above and white-rendered walls below. It has been more recently successfully re-ordered for modern worship, which has entailed the subdivision of the western bays of the nave into a new reception area with a large gallery space above. There is new seating and furnishing throughout but happily the main original features have been retained. This was probably never a particularly 'high church' parish as witnessed by the non-figurative treatment of the reredos and the window above, with the majority of windows plain glazed aside from the west window and the side chapel.

St Paul's is not normally open outside of services as I'd found out on previous occasions, hence this time being on a pre-arranged trip made all the difference. It is an impressive building which has been imaginatively adapted to modern use.
www.stpl.org.uk/Groups/306896/Home.aspx

Tags:   Leamington Spa church Victorian Warwickshire architecture John Cundall

© All Rights Reserved

St Paul's is one of several grand Victorian churches that have punctuated the skyline of Leamington Spa, its tall tower and spire being a landmark for anyone approaching the town from the east as we often did, glimpsing it in passing on the fringe of the town centre. I'd long since been inside most of the main churches here but this one had eluded me, until now.

The church was built in 1873-4 to the designs of local architect John Cundall, a man who has made his mark on Leamington Spa in a big way with three major churches and the town hall, all edifices in red brick with stone dressings which seem rather at odds with the otherwise white-washed Regency facades of Leamington town centre, but still somehow as a group forming a secondary local style of their own. The exterior is somewhat difficult to photograph owing to the trees along the main roadside north front, but makes a clear statement that this is an ambitious building.

Within this great brick building is surprisingly light, the red brick of the exterior gives way to lighter hues of decorative brickwork above and white-rendered walls below. It has been more recently successfully re-ordered for modern worship, which has entailed the subdivision of the western bays of the nave into a new reception area with a large gallery space above. There is new seating and furnishing throughout but happily the main original features have been retained. This was probably never a particularly 'high church' parish as witnessed by the non-figurative treatment of the reredos and the window above, with the majority of windows plain glazed aside from the west window and the side chapel.

St Paul's is not normally open outside of services as I'd found out on previous occasions, hence this time being on a pre-arranged trip made all the difference. It is an impressive building which has been imaginatively adapted to modern use.
www.stpl.org.uk/Groups/306896/Home.aspx

Tags:   Leamington Spa church Victorian Warwickshire architecture John Cundall

© All Rights Reserved

St Paul's is one of several grand Victorian churches that have punctuated the skyline of Leamington Spa, its tall tower and spire being a landmark for anyone approaching the town from the east as we often did, glimpsing it in passing on the fringe of the town centre. I'd long since been inside most of the main churches here but this one had eluded me, until now.

The church was built in 1873-4 to the designs of local architect John Cundall, a man who has made his mark on Leamington Spa in a big way with three major churches and the town hall, all edifices in red brick with stone dressings which seem rather at odds with the otherwise white-washed Regency facades of Leamington town centre, but still somehow as a group forming a secondary local style of their own. The exterior is somewhat difficult to photograph owing to the trees along the main roadside north front, but makes a clear statement that this is an ambitious building.

Within this great brick building is surprisingly light, the red brick of the exterior gives way to lighter hues of decorative brickwork above and white-rendered walls below. It has been more recently successfully re-ordered for modern worship, which has entailed the subdivision of the western bays of the nave into a new reception area with a large gallery space above. There is new seating and furnishing throughout but happily the main original features have been retained. This was probably never a particularly 'high church' parish as witnessed by the non-figurative treatment of the reredos and the window above, with the majority of windows plain glazed aside from the west window and the side chapel.

St Paul's is not normally open outside of services as I'd found out on previous occasions, hence this time being on a pre-arranged trip made all the difference. It is an impressive building which has been imaginatively adapted to modern use.
www.stpl.org.uk/Groups/306896/Home.aspx

Tags:   Leamington Spa church Warwickshire stained glass window Victorian

© All Rights Reserved

St Paul's is one of several grand Victorian churches that have punctuated the skyline of Leamington Spa, its tall tower and spire being a landmark for anyone approaching the town from the east as we often did, glimpsing it in passing on the fringe of the town centre. I'd long since been inside most of the main churches here but this one had eluded me, until now.

The church was built in 1873-4 to the designs of local architect John Cundall, a man who has made his mark on Leamington Spa in a big way with three major churches and the town hall, all edifices in red brick with stone dressings which seem rather at odds with the otherwise white-washed Regency facades of Leamington town centre, but still somehow as a group forming a secondary local style of their own. The exterior is somewhat difficult to photograph owing to the trees along the main roadside north front, but makes a clear statement that this is an ambitious building.

Within this great brick building is surprisingly light, the red brick of the exterior gives way to lighter hues of decorative brickwork above and white-rendered walls below. It has been more recently successfully re-ordered for modern worship, which has entailed the subdivision of the western bays of the nave into a new reception area with a large gallery space above. There is new seating and furnishing throughout but happily the main original features have been retained. This was probably never a particularly 'high church' parish as witnessed by the non-figurative treatment of the reredos and the window above, with the majority of windows plain glazed aside from the west window and the side chapel.

St Paul's is not normally open outside of services as I'd found out on previous occasions, hence this time being on a pre-arranged trip made all the difference. It is an impressive building which has been imaginatively adapted to modern use.
www.stpl.org.uk/Groups/306896/Home.aspx

Tags:   Leamington Spa church Warwickshire stained glass window Victorian

© All Rights Reserved