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Summary

Description

Peter Paul Pugin (Pugin and Pugin), 1903. Nave and side aisle, basilican-plan, 9-bay late-Gothic buttressed church with baptistery, sacristy and adjoining 2-storey presbytery. Rock-faced red coursed sandstone with ashlar dressings. Deep base course, hoodmoulding, cornice. Simple gothic tracery windows to church. Canted apse to E. Adjoining gabled sacristy to NE.

CHURCH:

EAST (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: symmetrical. Central pointed-arched small window with decorative hoodmould above and with carved insignia above. Flanking pair of pointed-arched entrance doorways with timber entrance doors. Gothic carved frieze above. 2- and 1-light tracery lancets above and smaller Venetian window at gable apex. Celtic cross finial to apex. S entrance bay to right with pointed-arched entrance door with statue in niche above; N aisle with elliptically-arched entrance with cusp-headed window and plate-tracery rose window over. Adjoining recessed 2-storey, 2-bay, square-plan gablet-roofed baptistery with round-arched lancet windows to ground and with rectangular windows openings to upper storey.

N ELEVATION: 9 bays. Tripartite shallow-arched aisle windows; arched clerestorey windows with simple tracery.

Predominantly gothic tracery windows to church; some fixed leaded lancet windows. Grey slates. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: excellent internal decorative scheme with some outstanding stained glass. 7-bay, pointed-arch nave arcade on polygonal stone piers. Carved timber pews with quatrefoil detail to pew ends. Carved timber gallery to W. Steeply pitched, trussed roof carried on sculpted corbels. Sanctuary with marble high alter with sculpted panels to front, separated by engaged Corinthian columns. Finely carved stone Gothic rederos to apse with integral altar and filigreed spire over tabernacle and incorporating carved figures. Painted sanctuary ceiling with geometric gothic stencilling and gilt. Side chapels to N and S aisles with carved stone altars, reredos and marble altar rails with brass gates. Traces of the original stencilling remains. 1948 Earley & Co, 3-light stained glass W window, depicting Christ the King. Door to NE leads to sacristy.

PRESBYTERY: single-storey stepped, buttressed corridor to SW links to asymmetrical, 2-storey, 3- x 6-bay presbytery. W (ENTRANCE ELEVATION): wide, segmental-arched hoodmoulded entrance doorway to far left with recessed timber entrance door with side lights. Bi-partite window openings to upper storey. Canted bay to far right. N ELEVATION: asymmetrical. Off-centre gabled middle bay with 4-light leaded pane window with stone mullions and transoms.

Predominantly plate glass timber sash and case windows. Corniced gable stack to S. Piended roofs with raised ventilating sections. Axial stacks.

Statement of Special Interest

Place of Worship in use as such. This church is an excellent example of the Glasgow church designs of the important firm of British architects, Pugin & Pugin. Well-decorated and detailed externally, the church and presbytery have significant streetscape presence in the area and the church retains an excellent, complete internal decorative scheme and fine stained glass. The buildings are little altered and demonstrate the use of high quality materials and attention to detail that the firm employed. Still used for their original purpose, the group provides important evidence of the understanding the firm possessed of the practical needs of a Roman Catholic church. The presbytery is linked to the church via an internal corridor, which leads into the spacious sacristy and then into the church.

Under the direction of Peter Paul Pugin, the firm of Pugin and Pugin held a virtual monopoly of church building for the archdiocese of Glasgow in the latter part of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. In total, they designed 20 churches for the diocese and 28 in Scotland from 1875 - 1904. St Peter's was the last completed church before Pugin's death in 1904 and is also the largest. The firm's churches all reflect a similar early Gothic form in the use of the basilican plan, with a short sanctuary and clear internal views from the nave and aisles. Externally, most are in the Gothic style, with good decoration, unusual tracery patterns and dominant west fronts and the majority are in red sandstone. St Peter's Church and presbytery is important as a complete, little altered example of their style.

The church of St Peter's was built to replace an older building in Partick, which the congregation had outgrown. The firm also designed the adjoining school. The foundation stone for the church was laid in 1901 and the church was opened in 1903. The building was one of the largest buildings in Partick and the presbytery was designed to accommodate 5 priests. The main stone rederos and altar in the east end of the church were also designed by Pugin and were installed in 1906. The 1948 stained glass window at the west end was designed by one of the largest and most prestigious ecclesiastical decorators at the time - the Irish firm Earley & Co. The window depicts Christ the King.

Peter Paul Pugin (1851-1904) was the son of A W N Pugin and he ran the firm of Pugin & Pugin from 1880-1904. He designed around 28 churches in Scotland, the vast majority for the Glasgow diocese. The firm also executed many alterations and refurnishings of existing Roman Catholic churches, presbyteries, schools, etc.

List Description updated, 2012.

References

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