Highfield Church

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Highfield Church
Christ Church, Portswood
Highfield Church in 2007
Highfield Church Shown within Southampton
Coordinates: 50°55′47″N 1°23′43″W / 50.9296°N 1.3952°W / 50.9296; -1.3952
Location	Highfield, Southampton
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Church of England
History
Founded	12 September 1846
Founder(s)	Charles Sumner
Dedication	Christ
Consecrated	17 September 1847
Architecture
Status	Church
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II listed
Designated	by 1969
Architect(s)	Joshua Brandon
Specifications
Number of spires	1
Materials	Purbeck Stone, Caen Stone mouldings
Administration
Parish	Highfield
Diocese	Winchester
Clergy
Curate(s)	Erica Roberts Neil Hopkins
Priest in charge	Mike Archer

Highfield Church is a parish church in the Highfield district of Southampton, England. It is an Anglican Church in the Diocese of Winchester.

History

Early History

The foundation stone for Highfield Church was laid on 12 September 1846 and it was consecrated on 17 September 1847, by the Right Reverend Charles Sumner, the Bishop of Winchester. The first Minister was the Reverend Philip Raulin Robin. The legal name of the church is Christ Church, Portswood but it became commonly known as Highfield Church in 1883.

World Wars

During the First World War (1914–1918) quite a number of the men from the parish went to the battlefields. Within the parish boundaries about 100 acres (0.40 km²) of land were being developed for housing so a western extension was built to accommodate the extra congregation. A First World War memorial was erected near the south door in 1921.

During the Second World War (1939–1945) Southampton was bombed heavily and there were direct hits on the parish and much loss of life. Throughout this period the clergy and members of the church kept watch on the church with a stirrup pump, buckets and shovels. The windows were given a coating of a rubber solution to lessen the danger of splintering glass.

The neighbouring church of St Barnabas was destroyed in 1940 and the two churches were temporarily merged until the rebuilding of the church at St Barnabas in 1957.

In 1941 there was an air raid where incendiary bombs fell near to the church. There was no serious structural damage to the church but windows in both the east and west ends of the church were shattered and the caretaker's quarters were destroyed. Despite the roof requiring 7000 new tiles, the morning matins went ahead. The church replaced those eastern windows that were destroyed in the blitz and these were the church's memorial to those who died in the Second World War.

Later history

The church celebrated its centenary in September 1947 with services by two previous vicars.

The church's building had grade II listed building status by 1969.^[1]

Architecture

The church originally had a nave, a small chancel with clerestory windows, a south aisle, and a tower with a broached oak shingled spire, which contained one bell. The architect was Joshua Brandon, who died before the building was completed and is buried in the churchyard.^{[citation needed]} The walls of the church are of Purbeck Stone with mouldings of Caen Stone and the painted glass windows were created by Nixon and Ward.

The church has been built onto and altered many times since it was first built.

In 1852 a parsonage was added and used as a vicarage,
In 1855 the north aisle was added,
In 1863 gas lighting was installed (candles had been used in the church before this time),
In 1869 the chancel was rebuilt, the spire restored, and the windows raised,
In 1885 gas regulators and burners were installed throughout the church,
In 1915 the western extension was built,
In 1921 a First World War memorial was erected near the south door,
In 1955 a west porch was designed by Ernest Berry Webber (who was the architect of the Civic centre of Southampton) and dedicated to Sir Sidney Kimber and his son.
In 2011, the pews were replaced with soft seating and the building renovated and updated

Area

Highfield Church is at the junction of Highfield Lane and Church Lane in the Highfield area of Southampton. Next to the church is the Church Centre, which is used by the church and the community for events, for example, adult education classes. Adjacent to the church is the main Highfield campus of the University of Southampton. The Highfield Church of England School building stands next to Highfield Church.

External links

References

↑ Highfield Church, Southampton: A brief history of the Church and parish Accessed 4th April 2007.

v t e Buildings and structures in Southampton, England

Grade I listed	Bargate Canute's Palace King John's Palace Medieval Merchant's House St. Julien's Church St. Mary's Church, South Stoneham St. Michael's Church Town Walls Tudor House Museum The Wool House

Grade II* listed	Bugle Street The Cenotaph Chapel Mills Civic Centre (SeaCity Museum, Southampton City Art Gallery, Southampton Guildhall) Dolphin Hotel Holyrood Church Jesus Chapel National Westminster Bank The Old Farm House Red Lion Inn Redbridge Bridge South Stoneham House Southampton Castle Star Hotel Terminus House Tudor Merchant's Hall The Undercroft The Weigh House

Grade II listed	286 (Swaythling Methodist Church) Avenue St. Andrew's Church Bowling Green House Central Baptist Church Christ Church, Freemantle Conduit House God's House Tower Highfield Church King George V Graving Dock Mans Bridge Mayflower Theatre Old Cemetery Ordnance Survey buildings Peartree House Royal South Hants Hospital St Alban's Church St Denys Priory St Denys railway station St James' Church, Shirley St Mary's Church St Michael and All Angels Church Swaythling railway station Titanic Engineers' Memorial Townhill Park House Water Gate Tower Woolston railway station Wyndham Court

Other	Bitterne Park School Cantell Secondary School Carnival House Centenary Quay Chamberlayne College for the Arts Cobden Bridge Ford Southampton plant The Hobbit Itchen Bridge Joiners Arms King Edward VI School Marlands Shopping Centre National Oceanography Centre Northam Bridge Oasis Academy Lord's Hill Oasis Academy Mayfield Ocean Village Redbridge Community School Regents Park Community College Sholing Technology College Solent Sky aviation museum South Stoneham Cemetery Southampton Central railway station Southampton General Hospital St Anne's Catholic School St George Catholic College St Mary's Stadium Titanic Musicians' Memorial Upper Shirley High School WestQuay Woodlands Community College

Demolished	Antelope Ground County Ground The Dell Television Centre

Category Listed buildings

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