St. Marys Church, Portsmouth

Saint Mary’s Church is the principal Church of England parish church for Portsea and Fratton and sits upon one of the oldest Christian sites on Portsea Island, with a history reaching back to the 11th century-possibly even earlier, to around 850 AD. The current Gothic Revival structure was designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield and constructed between 1887 and 1889. Standing 210 feet long with a 167-foot west tower, the church is often hailed as “the finest Victorian building in Hampshire”.

The church replaced two earlier buildings-an 1843 structure and the original medieval church. The foundation stone was laid in August 1887 by Victoria, Princess Royal, and the completed church was consecrated in October 1889. Built of flint and Bath stone in a Perpendicular Gothic style, its exterior is enlivened by pinnacles, large clerestory windows, and a majestic hammerbeam nave. The interior is equally breathtaking, featuring a monumental Walker four-manual organ (with 2,622 pipes), arcades, stained-glass windows, and sumptuous stonework.

Over the centuries, Saint Mary’s has played a central role in community life. It has witnessed baptisms of notable figures, including Charles Dickens and engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and hosted countless weddings, memorials, and civic events. The church also sustained damage during the Portsmouth Blitz in August 1940, shattering the east window glass, which was later replaced in 1952. Since then, it has undergone extensive restoration work, including a major £700,000 tower refurbishment completed in 2009.

Today, Saint Mary’s stands as both a working parish and a cultural landmark. Open to all, it hosts regular worship, classical concerts, and community events. Visitors can admire stained glass, explore memorials to naval and civilian lives, all within a Victorian-gothic masterpiece.