St Stephen’s Church protected by Grade A status on register

ST STEPHEN’S and St John’s churches have been added to the protected building register, leaving St Mary’s as the only Anglican church without that status.

St Stephen’s Church with its William Morris Tree of Jesse stained glass window, which has been classed worth of a Grade A classification as protected status. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 21846132)

The Guernsey Press highlighted the omission of the three historic churches at the start of this year. This month the planners formally added two of the churches to the list, with St Stephen’s getting a special Grade A classification, due to the historic importance of its windows.

The church on Les Gravees was built between 1862 and 1865 in an early English gothic revival style – which is described as being of international significance in the listing notice.

‘Of definite high quality and character and rare in Guernsey,’ the listing states.

‘The tower-less exterior appears as constructed. Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co., (with Philip Webb, Edward Burne-Jones & Ford Madox Brown) stained glass windows survive, including Tree of Jesse, with later windows 1889-1967 by several other designers...The involvement of William Morris in the building makes it worthy of Grade A.’

St John’s stands on Les Amballes in northern St Peter Port.

The building’s register entry shows how important the structure is.

‘A church of traditional plan-form built in 1837 for poor people of the parish together with two day schools in area, using good quality materials and workmanship with restrained but effective decoration,’ the entry states.

‘Changes have been made, but of a similar quality with a high degree of survival and the building remains in its original use, the appearance and setting of the building is little altered.

‘The building in its surroundings is of definite high quality and character, and there are many internal features of varying date remaining, e.g. various memorials and plaques, pews, altars, pulpit and bronze eagle lectern, and are evidence of successive phases in the building’s continued ecclesiastical use.’

St John’s neighbouring rectory has been listed since 1990.

All 10 parish churches were already listed, along with St Matthew’s at Cobo and Holy Trinity in Town. St Apolline, which is also Anglican, has protected monument status.

This leaves St Mary’s at L’Islet as the only one without that protection. The building dates back to 1880.

Also added to the protected building list was farmhouse Le Gardinet, on Ruette de Fries, near Le Guet, and Naftiaux House on Rue des Landes in St Andrew’s.