Plans to remove pews from the Grade II*-listed All Saints Church in Ryde have led the Victorian Society to object in the Portsmouth Consistory Court.
The Society advocates a more responsive and better-balanced solution, one that meets the needs of the parish whilst being significantly less harmful to the special historic and architectural interest of the building.
The present plans propose removing the building’s historic, tiled floor and losing most of the church’s historic seating. Both the floor and the seating were specified by Sir George Gilbert Scott as part of his design for the church, and their loss would seriously impact the building’s special architectural interest, it is claimed.
Initially, the plans proposed replacing the historic tiled floor with a polished concrete finish, and all the historic bench seating. Later amendments then proposed the retention of the floor, as well as the seating in the aisles. However, the most recently submitted plans revert to pursuing the replacement of the historic floor, despite the fact that its retention would not impinge on the uses envisaged for the reordered interior.
The church was designed and built by Scott between 1867 and 1872, with the imposing tower and spire added by the architect’s son, John Oldrid Scott, in 1881-82.
All Saint’s is a major building by internationally significant architect Sir George Gilbert Scott, best known for designing the Albert Memorial and St Pancras Station in London. Scott was a major figure in the C19 Gothic Revival, and one of the most important and influential architects in British architectural history. His legacy is suffering a remarkable rate of attrition, particularly in the context of Church of England parish churches.
Additionally, All Saints has links to Queen Victoria and her family who made the Island their home away from the stresses of royal life. HRH Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein laid the cornerstone in 1869 on behalf of her mother Queen Victoria. The North Porch was erected in memory of Prince Albert by members of the Royal Victoria Yacht Club.
The Diocese of Portsmouth says that the plans to refurbish the Church are to encourage its continued use moving forward, noting that such a significant building deserves to be preserved for future use.
A spokesperson for the Diocese of Portsmouth has said:
“Proposals submitted by All Saints, Ryde, aim to refurbish this important church building to guarantee its future. That includes plans to replace its flooring to accommodate under-floor heating, and to replace its pews with chairs that can be easily reorganised to allow more flexible use of the building. This is part of an ambitious project to revitalise CofE churches in Ryde, using funding from the national Church of England to increase congregation sizes and serve the local community more effectively.
“We agree with the Victorian Society that All Saints Church is an architecturally significant building that deserves to be preserved for future use. This is precisely why All Saints has drawn up these plans to refurbish their historic church. Sir George Gilbert Scott was indeed involved in the iconic design of the church building and these proposals seek to honour and build on that original design, whilst encouraging the church’s continued use for mission in Ryde.
“At the moment, these plans are being considered by the Chancellor of the diocese, the legal authority on changes to church buildings. The Victorian Society have objected to the proposals, as they are entitled to do. The Chancellor could call for a Consistory Court to be held, but this is rare. It more likely that the Chancellor will take a decision on whether these plans are permitted, based on the evidence he has received.”
