The church was built by Father (later Canon) Alexander Joseph Cory Scoles (1844-1920) and his partner, Geoffrey Raymond (1881-1972). Scores was one of two architect-priest sons of J.J.Scoles, eminent Gothic Revival architect and receiver of a number of a number of important Catholic commissions, particularly for the Jesuits. Before coming to the Portsmouth diocese, Canon Scoles was in the diocese of Clifton, where he designed and built churches at Bridgwater, Trowbridge and Yeovil as well as the Carmelite Church and Priory at Wincanton. After Falling out with the Bishop of Clifton, Scoles moved to Portsmouth. St Joseph's is his second Portsmouth church (after St Swithuns in 1901) and was built shortly after he had added the narthex, porch and turrets at the west end of the Cathedral. His best work is Holy Ghost, Basingstoke.
St Joseph's is an ambitious design in Scole's favoured late-thirteenth century style, built in one phase, with an impressive west front and spacious interior. Although altered, the furnishings of the sanctuary remain impressive, as do those of the adjoining chapels.
A site of a quarter of an acre was acquired in Copnor by Marhc 1908, at a cost of £400, and a large presbytery sufficient for three priests built. The first Mass was celebrated in September 1908 in the then new presbytery, and this was followed by Mass in the completed Lady Chapel on Christmas Day 1908. The foundation stone of the church was laid on 19th November 1913, and the completed building opened on 2rd August 1914. The architect was the Very Rev Canon A.J.C Scoles, a priest of the diocese with Geoffrey Raymond. The builder was Domenico Marchetti, a parishioner, who built extensively in th diocese but who unfortunately was knocked down and killed as he left the church in May 1918.
The sanctuary of the church was reordered by Thomas Makins FRIBA in 1974, and the new altar consecrated by Bishop Warlock on 17th December of that year.
The church is in late thirteenth century Gothic style and consists of nave, north and south aisles (with polygonal baptistry projecting at the west end of the north aisle), short sanctuary with flat east wall and flanking chapels. There is no east window, for the presbytery lies attached to the east.
The church is built of red brick laid in English bond, with stone dressings to the windows, doors and parapets, and a Roman tile roof. The showpiece west front is framed by stepped buttresses rising to polygonal corner turrets and high stepped parapet with a long blind arcade which has at its centre a figure in an aedicule (St Joseph cradling the Christ child). There is a central doorway with a carved stone tympanum depicting St Joseph the Carpenter. Above this is a row of five tall trefoil headed lancet windows with hood moulds with a circular cusped window above.
The west walls of the aisles are set back from the line of the main west front, and have diagonal buttresses, tall two light windows and circular cusped openings in the gables. The side elevations are more plainly treated. There is an entrance at the west end of the south aisle, otherwise paired lancet windows with trefoil heads and plate tracery circular cusped openings in the arch. The bay divisions are marked by stepped buttresses. The cinquefoil cusped circular lights of the nave clerestory are hidden by steep aisle roofs.
The interior is tall and spacious, with rendered white painted walls and a five bay nave arcade with polygonal stone pillars and moulded capitals, based and arcades. Canted, compartmented roofs to nave and aisles. The former baptistry gives off the north aisle; the font has now been moved to the east end of this aisle, and a statue of the Sacred heart placed in the baptistry. There is a baller/narthex at the west end of the nave.
The chancel is short (two bays) and is dominated by a high alter ensemble against the east wall, with painted and carved figures set within an architectural frame work of an indeterminate granitic composite. The paintings are of high quality and their provenance and authorship need to be established. The altar appears to be the original one, adapted and moved forward. Presumably in the reordering of 1974. There is a fine Gothic stone altar and reredos in the Lady Chapel to the south, incorporating polychrome figures with unusual iconography (including the marriage of Joseph and Mary).
The presbytery lies to the east of the church and is built of similar materials. Three storeys asymmetrical composition, with gabled parapets and a statue in a niche in the gable. According to the parish priest, the original entrance was up a flight of steps to the first floor window in the slightly recessed bay to the left of the gabled bays.
NOW FOR THE CACHE...
At the front of the church are the main double doors used for entry and exiting the church. Above these double doors is a carving with seven words below it. Count the number of letters in each of these words as these are the values for A to G (Number of letters in first word equals A, number of letters in second word equals B etc).
You will find the cache at N50 48.(A+C)FG W001 03.(AxE)(D-B-A)(A+B). The checksum for all fifteen digits of the coordinates is 48. Good luck and happy hunting!
***CONGRATULATIONS LITTLEBRICKY ON FTF***
****************** ********************
For full information on how you can expand the Church Micro series by sadexploration please read the Place your own Church Micro page before you contact him at churchmicro.co.uk
See also the Church Micro Statistics and Home pages for further information about the series.
****************** *******************