St Peter and St Paul’s Church Shoreham

New Extension to St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Shoreham

St Peter and St Paul is a largely medieval church with an outstanding late medieval timber-framed porch and polychromatic C18 tower. The interior includes a late medieval rood screen, late medieval roofs and good quality fittings re-used from Westminster Abbey. The walls comprise flint and stone rubble with freestone dressings and the tower walls flint with red brick dressings. The church is Grade I listed.

The proposed extension designed by James Ford of Clague Architects comprised a single storey building with meeting rooms, kitchen and toilet facilities. Where the extension bounds the church aisle two light wells were designed to permit a free flow of natural light through the stained glass windows into the nave and new hall. As part of this project two new openings were to be made through the historic walls providing level access.

Investigative works were carried out at the start of the project to determine the location of the Polhill Family crypt. This was located under the vestry and determined to be at risk of being affected by the proposed work. The new opening into the vestry was therefore meticulously detailed to avoid the crypt below and the existing vestry window above.

The proposed site for the extension comprised a burial ground with large tree in close proximity. Foundation design was carefully detailed to minimise effect on archaeology, burials and tree roots. The design team worked closely to develop a sequence of carefully managed archaeological investigation to avoid the need for underpinning the nave wall.

Prior to forming the openings in the existing walls a sequence of grouting and pinning was developed to consolidate the flint rubble walls allowing the openings to be made safely.

The new super structure comprises glulam trusses and beams supported on load bearing masonry walls. Cantilevered brackets were detailed to support the flat roof where it abuts the main church, thus avoiding structural fixings to the historic nave wall.

Drainage works comprised a new connection to the public sewer and surface water drained to a shallow crate soakwaway system.

The extension provides the facilities and accessibility needed to enhance the church’s role at the centre of local life, whilst preserving the beauty and character of the building.

Client

St Peter and St Paul’s Shoreham

Architect

Clague Architects

Value

£0.8M

Photography

Clague Architects

Tags

Ecclesiastical, Historic