A plain church of the late 1950s by Sebastian Comper, made more interesting by a modern narthex addition and furnishings by Stephen Foster and David John.

Mass was first said at Langley in August 1953, in a temporary chapel. In November 1953 fundraising began to buy a site at the crossing of Trelawney Avenue and Green Drive, with the aim of building a church, presbytery and hall. By October 1954 there were 1,000 Catholics living in the area, many with homes on the London County Council’s newly-built Langley estate. From 1955 Mass was said at 137 Trelawney Avenue, a house which Fr Geoffrey Crawfurd rented from the LCC. The site of the current church was bought from the LCC in January 1956. J. S. Comper designed the new church, designed to hold 350, and building work began in June; the builders were Kirk & Kirk of Putney. The foundation stone was laid on  30 September, and the first Mass was said on 2 February 1957. The cost of the church was £16,875.

The west end was adapted in 1981 by Seely & Paget, with a gallery (always intended by the architect), repository, confessional etc moved to this end. A screen was installed beneath the gallery front. A sculpture of the Holy  Family by Andrew Kennedy of Chadlington, Oxon. was installed in the spandrels between the doorways facing the road.

In 2005 a new, glazed narthex was built across the church’s west front. Designed by Stuart MacKay of Edgington, Spink & Hyne, it was designed to allow around 180 people – a typical Sunday congregation – to congregate comfortably after Mass. The extension includes a kitchenette and WCs. As part of the renewal work the church interior was repainted and refurnished (see below). A shrine to Our Lady was created at the southwest end of the nave (in place of the confessional), and a new lighting and sound system installed. The 1981 screen below the gallery front was removed.

Description

The exterior is faced in Fletton brick, with a roof of cement tiles (replacing pantiles). Single Gothic windows in each of the nave’s five bays, and a group of three windows in the west gable end. The windows, with cast stone surrounds, contain small-paned, clear-glass leaded lights.

The interior is longitudinal on plan, with a wide aisleless nave under a roof of reinforced concrete trusses and purlins, with red cedar boarding between the rafters. A gallery at the west end dates from 1981. A pointed chancel arch separates nave from the narrower chancel. A carving of the risen Christ on the east wall of the sanctuary is by Stephen Foster, and dates from 2005. The font, ambo, altar, tabernacle and presidential chair are by David John, sculptor and designer, and also date from 2005. On the west front of the church, the 1981 sculpture of the Holy Family by Andrew Kennedy now overlooks the interior of the narthex.

Amended by AHP 25.01.2021

Heritage Details