Visiting St Simon's Church
St Simon's Church is usually open during weekday mornings and during service times. For further details phone the Church Office on 023 9282 9440.
Further information
Car parking is available on some of the streets adjacent to the church - you are most likely to find places on St Simon's Road or St Ronan's Road. There is no parking on Waverley Road.
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The Memorials (Clockwise from north-west corner) | |||
1. |
Major CHL Tinling and Frances Tinling |
11. |
Reverend Frederick Baldey |
The Early History of St Simon's Church
The Crinoline Church The first of these was St Bartholomew's which was bombed during World War 2, but remained in use until 1958. It was sited at the junction of Outram Road and Campbell Road. Whilst the church was being constructed, a temporary church was put up close by. This was alleged to have been a former mobile hospital building brought back from the Crimean War and was known as the Crinoline Church on account of it's circular shape. Once St. Bartholomew's had been completed the Crinoline church was moved to take up temporary residence on a piece of land just north of the current site of St Simon's Church where it occupied a similar role whilst St Simon's was under construction. The distinctive circular outline of the church can clearly be seen on the 1861 Ordnance Survey Map of the area. When no longer required on this site the Crinoline Church was moved to Eastney Barracks where it served out it's useful life. St Simon's Church The prime instigator for the creation of St Simons was Reverend Baldey, who used much of his own money for the construction. He had formerly been curate at St Judes, but as Southsea grew, he had recognised that the eastern part of the town would be in need of a church.
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