St. Stephens Church, Nottingham

Saint Stephen’s Church in Sneinton is a Grade II listed parish church of the Church of England, located in the eastern suburb of Nottingham. With roots reaching back to medieval times, the church was originally under the spiritual care of Lenton Priory. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, it came under the administration of clergy from Saint Mary's Church, Nottingham, until Sneinton was established as an independent parish in 1866.

The present building dates from 1837 and was designed by noted architect Thomas Rickman. Built by W. Surplice of Nottingham, the church stands out as one of the earliest examples of Gothic Revival architecture in Nottinghamshire. It was funded in part by the Church Building Commission, earning it the designation of a Commissioners' church.

Saint Stephen’s became a pioneering church in Nottingham for its early adoption of high-church liturgical practices. By 1853, it had already introduced a surpliced male choir and the intoning of prayers-practices not yet seen in nearby Anglican churches such as Saint Mary's, which only followed suit in 1868.

The church was expanded between 1909 and 1912 under architect Cecil Greenwood Hare, following designs by George Frederick Bodley. Bodley also designed the ornate reredos, carved in Oberammergau, which illustrates scenes from the life of Christ. Additionally, the church houses choir stalls from the 14th or 15th century, originally from Saint Mary's. These stalls, featuring finely carved medieval misericords, were acquired in 1848 by the then-organist of Saint Stephen’s.

Of cultural note, the parents of author D. H. Lawrence were married here on 27 December 1875. Since 2003, following the closure of Saint Matthias’ Church, the parish has been known as Saint Stephen and Saint Matthias.