Weight: 149 lbs Diameter: 17" Bell 1 of 2
Founded by Mears & Stainbank 1876
Dove Bell ID: 57214 Tower ID: 21886 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Luton: St Matthew
Diocese of St.Albans
Closed Church, 632361
Overview
Grid reference: TL 93 219
The building is composed of plum-coloured Bedford brick with dressings of stone. The roofs are tiled and the brickwork is laid in English bond. The roof is carried on a corbel table around nave, aisles, transepts and polygonal apse except for the porches, the gabled west end of the nave and the gabled faces of the transepts. The aisles which are buttressed are covered by lean-to roofs.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
Wide nave, narrow aisles, porches at the north-west and south-west, lower apsidal ended chancel, vestry and organ chamber to the north and south of the chancel contained in short, transeptal projections, and a porch at the east end of the south aisle.
Footprint of Church buildings: 715 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
In 1873, a wooden church, formerly at Woburn, was erected in High Town where it was served by a curate from St. Mary's. In the same year, St. Matthew's mission was assigned a district. The foundation stone of the present church was laid in 1875 and the building was consecrated three years later. The architects were G. Vialls and J.R. Brown and the builder was C. Miskin. The total cost was £6,700. St. Matthew's Schools were built in 1873-4 in Havelock Road, and a parsonage was added to the west of the church in 1876. These ancillary buildings were almost certainly by the same architects. Elsewhere in the county, Vialls built the chancel of Christ Church, Luton, and J.R. Brown and Son built the church of St. Andrew, Woodside, Luton, in 1890. The latter is in the idiom of St. Matthew, of brick with transepts, bell-cote and plate tracery.
Exterior Description
The building is composed of plum-coloured Bedford brick with dressings of stone. The roofs are tiled and the brickwork is laid in English bond. The roof is carried on a corbel table around nave, aisles, transepts and polygonal apse except for the porches, the gabled west end of the nave and the gabled faces of the transepts. The aisles which are buttressed are covered by lean-to roofs. The west front is divided into three bays by two buttresses terminated by gables and the antral bay has a somewhat taller lancet than the side bays at clerestory level. Beneath these a gable is flanked by two further lancets. The gable indicates the position of the baptistery behind; this is lit by a circular opening in which is inscribed a trefoil. In the gable of the west wall a circular light accommodates a quatrefoil and above all rises the western bellcote which is finished by a pyramidal cap and a gable cross. It houses two bells of unknown provenance. The north-west and south-west porches are gabled with ornate crosses, and their faces are divided into compartments by lines of moulded brickwork.
Both transepts bear two lancets beneath a circular light on their gabled faces; the circular light of the south transept on Havelock Road is appropriately more conspicuous with its pattern of a six lobed flower. The clerestory is divided into four pairs of lencets, each light bearing its own hood. Elsewhere on the exterior the hoods of the windows are provided by continuous moulded brick string courses and further courses of brickwork underline the sills. The aisle windows are not hooded. The faces of the polygonal apse are lit by a stepped triple lancet in plate tracery which is otherwise pierced by two small circles. The three faces are linked by a continuous hood mould and decoration of the walls is afforded by the use of banded bright rod bricks which contrast with the plum-purple .of the remainder of the brickwork. The sills of the apse windows rest on a continuous line of stone.
Building Fabric and Features
Stained Glass
The glass of the east window was designed by Faith Craft and depicts the Nativity, the Risen Christ and the Baptism of Christ.
Interior
Interior Description
The nave is of four bays with a short bay west of this accommodating both the western baptistery which is recessed behind an arch resting on foliate corbels, and the entrance to the porches. Access to the porches is gained via moulded brick arches in the nave and aisles. The arcade rests an circular stone piers with octagonal bases, circular abaci and foliage capitals. The arches are of brick and the eastern responds are corbelled out from the wall. The foliage of the capitals of the central piers bear small carved faces to the north, south, east and west. The nave roof is composed of arched braces which are divided by tie-beams and the shape is suggestive of a hammer beam roof. Wall posts are supported on corbels composed of stone heads of aged men with brick supports. A double string course defines a narrow triforium space between the clerestory and the brick arcade and another string course provides the hoodmoulding for the clerestory windows. Almost all the string course work inside the church is of brick. The aisle lean-tos are painted white between rafters and the principal rafters separate the lancets in each bay. The aisle roofing is supported by struts against the arcade. The chancel arch is composed of moulded brick and stone. The inner order of stone rests on slender shafts with shaft rings, which are topped with foliage capitals. The nave is spacious and wide but the lancet lighting, especially at the west end, renders this a dark space. The floor is of wood blocks and tiles and the seating is by means of chairs of light coloured wood. This helps to mitigate the sombre effect.
The chancel roof is boarded and divided into compartments. The splayed sills of the eastern windows bear the inscription painted in Gothic letters 'This Do in Remembrance of Me'. A low brick, stone-capped chancel wall is surmounted by newly painted ironwork. The eatern interior walls of the apse have the same treatment of banded brick as the exterior, but the bricks are black. The north transept is screened and curtained from the church and is used as a vestry whilst the south transept is in use as an organ chamber.
Fixtures and fittings
Pulpit
By the north respond of the chancel arch stands the octagonal stone pulpit with openwork trefoil headed arches supported on clustered stone green marble shafts with foliate capitals. The arcading is partly filled with miniature battlemented walls.
Reredos
1885
Composed of three crocketted gable headed lights separated by two plain compartments. The gables are terminated by ornate finials and rest on marble colonettes and the central light accommodates an architectural cross. A disjointed composition which attempts to follow the lines of the triple lancet behind it, the reredos is otherwise decorated with carved flowers in the gables and A and 0 in quatrefoils.
Lectern
1901
An eagle lectern of 1901 in brass was given by the Sunday school scholars.
Font (object)
The octagonal font was erected on a stepped circular base in 1892. The bowl rests on a short central stem and four attached shafts of marble. Above some dogtooth ornamentation are inset alabaster panels in relief depicting sacred symbols, foliage etc. The font cover was added in 1957.
Organ (object)
In 1890 the Ingram organ exhibited at the Glasgow Exhibition of Fine Arts was purchased for £900. In 1919-20 it was completely reconstructed by Spurden, Rutt and Co. with 49 stops and in 1962 it was overhauled by the same firm. The organ is well sited in the south transept arch.
Bells
Weight: 188 lbs Diameter: 19" Bell 2 of 2
Founded by Mears & Stainbank 1876
Dove Bell ID: 57215 Tower ID: 21886 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Churchyard
Grid reference: TL 93 219
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Sources
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