St. Mark's Church, Little Common Road

St. Mark's Church, Little Common Road
LL ref:	39
Start date:	1842
Architect:	Major Vidler, Henry Woodyer
Builder:	unknown
Original use:	Church
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St Mark was built in 1842 as a chapel of ease in the parish of St Peter for the hamlet of Little Common. It was designed by Major Vidler and comprised an aisleless nave with a west tower. Much of the material is said to have come from a nearby Martello tower. In 1857 the chapel became a district church and Henry Woodyer (1816-96) designed a new chancel with lancets, again using Martello stone.

Woodyer was a leading Victorian architect, designing new churches such as St Martin’s Dorking and Holy Trinity, Southampton, rebuilding and restoring others, designing institutional buildings such as Cranleigh School in Surrey, buildings at Eton College and All Saints Hospital Eastbourne together with domestic buildings throughout the South of England. Many of his buildings are listed. Vidler also designed memorial tablets in churches at Battle, Winchelsea, Beckley and Hastings.

A separate parish was constituted in 1867 and Woodyer returned in 1885 to add a broad, gabled south aisle, also with lancets and a five-bay arcade with round piers into which the moulded heads merge. He also heightened the chancel arch, building a replacement stone belfry at the west end. In 1931 a vestry was added at the north east corner of the nave, replacing one of 1885. Its arch resembles that opposite on the south side and it was intended as the start of a north aisle by T Moore and Moore, however, no more was done until 1962, when J D Wylson added an aisle, separated from the nave by a long single very depressed arch with simplified gothic detail, effectively incorporating the vestry of 1931 as a transept to the east of the aisle. Wylson died during the work, which was completed by his partner, R C Cox. Cox also probably designed the south porch added in 1970.

Fittings

Font: Big and round with squat shafts and a deep bowl of quatrefoil section with a scalloped base, designed by Woodyer. It is said to be of Caen stone. Glass: The church contains a remarkable range of glass, largely of the C20. Much reflects the various building campaigns, but there have been further additions since.

1. (East window) Clayton and Bell, 1885 (www.stainedglassrecords.org, retrieved on 22/2/2013)
2. (South aisle, east) C E Kempe, 1896.
3. (West lancets) By ‘Drake’ with Christ with the children (www.stainedglassrecords.org, retrieved on 22/2/2013), 1890. From the date this is probably F Drake.
4. (West window) C E Kempe, 1898.
5. (South aisle, fourth window) Christian symbols by H Wilkinson, 1928 (WSRO Fac 2708).
6. (South aisle, first window) H V Milner, 1931 (CDG Jan 1931).
7. (North transept) four lights showing Christ and the Doctors by J Powell and Sons, designed by E L Armitage, 1961 (Order book).
8. (North transept, five lights) Raising of Lazarus by C J Edwards, 1964 (ESRO Par 245/4/1/24).
9. (South chancel, two pairs of lancets) Scenes from the Passion in an expressionist style by C J Edwards, 1966 (one signed).
10. (South chancel) Two-light window showing two saints, clearly influenced by early Victorian examples by C M Benyon, daughter of C J Edwards, 1986 (www.stainedglassrecords.org, retrieved on 22/2/2013).
11. (North aisle) Five lights depicting the Life of St Peter by C M Benyon, 1993 (ibid).
12. (South aisle, fifth window) Mostly engraved glass with addition of muted colouring, commemorating RAF Wartling, a radar station in World War II and subsequently, by J Campbell, 2001 (ibid)

Reredos: It consists of a row of stone arcading under the east window and was probably part of Woodyer’s design. However, in that case the tiled and mosaic angels within the arches are later, for the later of the couple commemorated died in 1915. This is almost certainly the work of 1922 by J Powell and Sons, designed by E Penwarden, as noted on Dennis Hadley’s list.

Rood-screen: Designed by H Read, 1926 (1 p80). It is well carved and the names of the saints depicted are said to spell out ALGERNON, the name of the person commemorated. However, the figure of St Mark in the centre (identified beyond doubt by his lion) might cast doubt on this.

Gallery

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  Interior
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  Painting of 'Maddona and Child'
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  Stained glass
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