History in Structure

Church of St Martin

A Grade II Listed Building in Harpur, Bedford

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Coordinates

Latitude: 52.1436 / 52°8'36"N

Longitude: -0.4771 / 0°28'37"W

OS Eastings: 504306

OS Northings: 250570

OS Grid: TL043505

Mapcode National: GBR G1Z.D6K

Mapcode Global: VHFQ7.PD32

Plus Code: 9C4X4GVF+C4

Entry Name: Church of St Martin

Listing Date: 28 July 2003

Grade: II

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1390539

English Heritage Legacy ID: 490461

ID on this website: 101390539

Location: St Martin's Church, Queen's Park, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK41

County: Bedford

Electoral Ward/Division: Harpur

Parish: Non Civil Parish

Built-Up Area: Bedford

Traditional County: Bedfordshire

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Bedfordshire

Church of England Parish: Bedford St Martin

Church of England Diocese: St.Albans

Tagged with: Church building

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Description



618/0/10011 CLAPHAM ROAD
28-JUL-03 Church of St Martin

II
Church. 1888-89. J.A. Chatwin of Birmingham. Yellow brick with red brick banding and window dressings, stone coping to gables and window dressings, and red brick plinth; clay tile roofs.
PLAN: 4-bay nave and aisles, with shallow transepts to eastern 2 bays; chancel flanked by Lady Chapel and organ room, with polygonal apse to east; polygonal Baptistery to west.
EXTERIOR: WEST elevation has tall gable with central window of 3 pointed trefoil lancets below cinquefoils. Gable flanked by lower aisles; single storey Baptistery under hipped roof. SOUTH elevation to road has entrance porch with double wooden doors within red brick moulded architrave under gable, shortened to right where it joins the aisle with 2 groups of 3 lancets with red brick dressings and linked stone gable hoods. 4 pairs of clerestory rounded trefoil lancets to taller nave with exposed rafter tips and ridge tiles. To east, gables advanced from aisles, each with central window with 3 double pointed trefoil lancets. Lower Lady Chapel to east with 3 separate lights in stone surrounds. Behind this, EAST end has tall 3-sided apse to end of chancel, each bay has window with pair of lancets and prominent rounded cinquefoil; that to end bay has 3 pointed trefoil lancets and 2 rounded cinquefoils. Stepped buttresses between each bay and brick diaper work between brick banding. Lady Chapel has pointed window with large quatrefoil, pair of cinquefoils and three smaller trefoil lights. NORTH elevation similar to south, with flat roof extension to east end, with groups of 3 lancets in brick surrounds.
INTERIOR: Nave has wide 4-bay arcade with stone columns with moulded capitals, tall pointed arches in moulded red brick architraves to brick band above which clerestory windows to western 2 bays in brick surrounds. Red with black diamond pattern tile flooring to central and side aisles. Wooden ceiling has arched brace king post trusses with collar, double purlins and tie rods on stone corbels. Open back bench pews. Baptistery to west end wooden roof, single lancets including St. John the Baptist lancet likely by Clayton and Bell, stone pedestal font with quatrefoil panels. Scissor truss roof to entrance porch. Wide 2-bay aisles have curved braces on corbels to principle rafters, window by Jones and Willis to south aisle. Wide arch to 2-bay transepts, with wall mounted wooden war memorial. Attached to column at north east, wooden pulpit with moulded top-rail, pair of pointed arches with slender column to each panel, stepped and chamfered stone plinth and stairs with wood balusters and moulded handrail. East end has wide moulded brick arch, low stone wall and steps to Lady Chapel with coloured glass by Clayton and Bell. Tall central arch on stone piers with low stone wall to Chancel, which has similar roof to nave, but with curved wind braces to purlins. Wood altar rail has groups of 3 pointed lancets to each panel with intricate foliate spandrels. 3 coloured glass windows in Chancel apse by Clayton and Bell. Organ by Alfred Hunter, Clapham.

A little-altered Church of 1888-89 by the important Birmingham architect J.A. Chatwin with a spatially and decoratively impressive interior.


This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Register. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 17 August 2017.

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