About St Mary's
History
St Mary's, Portsea, is the oldest Church site on the island of Portsmouth and has a history stretching back to the 11th Century. (Recent archaeological research indicates there may have been a church here in 850 AD ). Throughout its history the Church has played an important role in the life of the island and especially the local communities of Fratton, Landport and Buckland. The current Church was built in the 1880's and is a major landmark around the city and its approaches. Its Tower can be clearly seen rising above the surrounding terraces. This Church was built with the support of W H Smith - then the First Lord of the admiralty - to serve the needs of the city and to be an inspiration to all who saw it. The building is a splendid example of its era and contains many fine 'pieces' - especially the Walker Organ (designed for this place). This Organ has been described by a recent expert as being of 'national importance'. In addition to building the Parish Church a number of other buildings, institutes and mission halls were built to serve all who lived and worked in this area of the city, especially those struggling with life in what was a deprived area. The history of this period is nationally known and St Mary's holds a place in 'folk lore' - particularly as two Vicars at the start of the 20th century went on to become Archbishop of Canterbury (Lang) and Archbishop of York (Garbett). The building is a Grade 2* listed building and sits in an extensive Church yard.
Present Situation
Whilst many things have developed in the city around us St Mary's continues to be a landmark and a place held in the affections of many who live and work in the city. It has witnessed hundreds of marriages over the years, as well as having touched many people's lives through its various mission churches, institutions, clubs, groups and Choir. Many regard it as 'their' Church even though they have long moved out of the geographical Parish. The Parish itself continues to have 'areas of deprivation' - covering a large part of Charles Dickens Ward, and including the Landport SRB area of need. Over the last few years the Church has also developed as a place for concerts and is used regularly by the Portsmouth Choral Union, Portsmouth Festival Choir and the Royal Marine School of Music. The Building offers good acoustics, on site parking for a large number of cars and seating for 600 people in one large open space. The Churchyard is leased to the City Council and is used as a large park area by many people in the midst of a densely populated area. The present Church Council and congregation are keen to honour the vision and ethos of the builders of this Church 120 years ago and ensure it both remains a landmark, serves the needs of the local community and city and seeks to inspire all who visit it. There are, however, a number of issues that need to be addressed if we are to be able to do this. These include - poor facilities in terms of toilets etc; the need to comply with 2004 legislation with regard to access etc and suitable facilities to help 'tell the story' and encourage school visits (of which there are already a large number). The Parish has successfully completed a major renovation and restoration of the main body of the Church and in particular the roofs - raising some £1million in grants and funds. It now wishes to move from the work of simple restoration and look at how we can further develop the building and its site so that it continues into the 21st century to fulfil the vision of it s builders and to honour the Christian presence in this place for 1,000 years.
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