St George's Church, Portobello

St George's
St George's
	St George's Church from the southeast
Religion
Affiliation	Anglican
District	Diocese of Sheffield
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Redundant church
Year consecrated	1825
Location
Location	Sheffield City Centre; South Yorkshire, England
	Shown within Sheffield
Geographic coordinates	53°22′54″N 1°28′51″W / 53.3817°N 1.4808°W
Architecture
Architect(s)	Woodhead and Hurst
Type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Completed	1825
Construction cost	£15,181 (equivalent to £1,570,000 in 2023)
Specifications
Capacity	380
Length	122 feet (37 m)
Width	67 feet (20 m)
Height (max)	140 feet (43 m)

St George's Church, Portobello, is a former Church of England parish church in the City of Sheffield, England. It is now part of the University of Sheffield and is a lecture theatre and student housing.

St George's is the first of three Commissioners' churches to have been built in Sheffield under the Church Building Act 1818. The other two are St Mary's Church, Bramall Lane, and St Philip's Church, Netherthorpe (demolished 1951). St George's is a Gothic Revival building designed by the architects Woodhead and Hurst in a Perpendicular Gothic style. It was built at a cost of £15,181 (equivalent to £1,570,000 in 2023),^[1] the whole cost being met by the Church Building Commission.^[2]

The building is 122 feet (37 m) long and 67 feet (20 m) wide and consists of a flat-ceilinged nave with six bays, a single-bay chancel, and a 140 feet (43 m)-high tower.^[3] Galleries extended the length of the north and south walls, and there was a two-tiered gallery on the west wall. In total the church could seat 380 people. The foundation stone was laid on 19 July 1821,^[4] and the church was consecrated by Archbishop Vernon Harcourt on 29 June 1825.

The church was declared redundant and closed in 1981. It stood unused for a number of years until the University of Sheffield acquired it and in 1994 had it converted into a lecture theatre and student accommodation.^[5] Prior to this, it had been the last of the Commissioners' churches in Sheffield to retain its original form. It is a Grade II listed building.^[6]

In 2010 a nest-box was placed on the church rooftop, which is now home to a breeding pair of peregrine falcons that can be seen via live stream webcam.^[7]

References

^ ^a ^b UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
^ Port, M. H. (2006). 600 New Churches: The Church Building Commission 1818–1856 (2nd ed.). Reading: Spire Books. p. 329. ISBN 978-1-904965-08-4.
^ Levesley, Gerald (1975). Third Jubilee: The History of the Church and Parish of St. George, Sheffield 1825–1975. Sheffield: Parochial Church Council of St George, Sheffield. ISBN 0950450308.^{[page needed]}
^ "St George, Portobello". Sheffield & District Family History Society. Archived from the original on 9 July 2001. Retrieved 11 February 2006.
^ Harman, R.; Minnis, J. (2004). Sheffield. Pevsner City Guides. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. p. 88. ISBN 0-300-10585-1.
^ Historic England. "Church of St George (Grade II) (1247180)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 10 November 2013
^ "Sheffield Peregrines". The University of Sheffield.

[inflation-UK-1] UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 7 May 2024.

[2] Port, M. H. (2006). 600 New Churches: The Church Building Commission 1818–1856 (2nd ed.). Reading: Spire Books. p. 329. ISBN 978-1-904965-08-4.

[3] Levesley, Gerald (1975). Third Jubilee: The History of the Church and Parish of St. George, Sheffield 1825–1975. Sheffield: Parochial Church Council of St George, Sheffield. ISBN 0950450308.^{[page needed]}

[4] "St George, Portobello". Sheffield & District Family History Society. Archived from the original on 9 July 2001. Retrieved 11 February 2006.

[5] Harman, R.; Minnis, J. (2004). Sheffield. Pevsner City Guides. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. p. 88. ISBN 0-300-10585-1.

[6] Historic England. "Church of St George (Grade II) (1247180)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 10 November 2013

[7] "Sheffield Peregrines". The University of Sheffield.

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v t e Churches in Sheffield
Cathedrals	St Marie (RC) St Peter and St Paul (CofE)
Pre-19th century	All Saints, Ecclesall Attercliffe Chapel Beauchief Abbey St James, Midhopestones St James, Norton St Mary, Bolsterstone St Mary, Ecclesfield St Mary the Virgin, Beighton St Mary, Handsworth St Nicholas, Bradfield St Paul, Pinstone Street
Commissioners' churches	Christ Church, Pitsmoor Christ Church, Stannington St George, Portobello St Mary, Bramall Lane St Matthew, Carver Street St Thomas, Brightside
Non-conformist chapels	Fulwood Old Chapel Loxley URC Underbank Chapel Upper Chapel Victoria Hall
Other churches	St Aidan's Banner Cross St Charles, Attercliffe Christ Church, Fulwood Christ Church, Dore Christ Church, Hackenthorpe Christ Church, Wadsley Bridge Church of Christ Hillsborough Trinity Sacred Heart, Hillsborough Holy Cross, Gleadless Valley Christ Church, Gleadless Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Hackenthorpe St Catherine of Siena St John, Ranmoor St Joseph, Handsworth St Lawrence, Tinsley St Margaret, Wincobank St Mark, Broomhill St Mark, Grenoside St Mark, Mosborough St Matthias, Stocksbridge Mosborough Methodist Church St Paul, Norton Lees St Peter, Greenhill St Paul, Wordsworth Avenue St Cyprian, Frecheville St Thomas, Crookes St Thomas, Wincobank St Vincent, Solly Street Wadsley

See also

References