Vision and design

13/12/07

Introduction

St. Cuthbert’s Church was built in 1915 on the edge of the new housing development in the Copnor area of Portsmouth close to Baffins Pond.

St. Cuthbert’s Church was severely damaged in 1941 when a land mine, exploded in just a few metres from the church. A temporary repair was made to the church after the war and services continued in approximately two thirds of the building, until 1959 when the church was re-built as close to the original design as possible with the funds available.

Vision

At the end of the twentieth century the PCC decided to explore the possibility of sharing the building with the community and creating a smaller more flexible worship space for the twenty-first century.

At the same time the Doctors at the all Christian, Baffins Surgery were looking for suitable premises for a new surgery, as they had outgrown their present building.

In partnership with the Baffins Surgery St. Cuthbert’s Church commissioned Architects Lee Evans de Moubray, of Canterbury to design the reordering of the building to create a new Worship Space, a five partner Doctor’s surgery and a series of flexible community meeting rooms.

What are the benefits of this project?

The redevelopment of our church will provide:

• A beautiful new place of worship for all to use, seven days a week.
• Comfortable and attractive surroundings for meetings and social activities.
• Improved facilities for work among children and young people.
• An improved GP Surgery at the heart of our community.
• Voluntary and statutory agencies with the means to give better services to local people.
• Opportunities to "re connect" St. Cuthbert's with the local community.
• A building which is self financing for the future.

See our Gallery for more images showing the design for the future.