The architectural and historic interest of this church lies principally in the late-eighteenth century façade, facing towards the Market Place. The rest is a 1950s rebuilding.

This little chapel was built in 1799 by a group of Calvinists who had seceded from the Anglican parish church in 1785. It was supported by ministers of the Countess of Huntingdon’s Connexion. The chapel was closed in 1905, and was subsequently used as a furniture store. In 1924 it was purchased by the Catholics of Wallingford, and was repaired and reopened as a church later that year. In 1958 the original chapel was demolished, except for the old façade facing towards the Market Place. A new and enlarged church was built behind the old façade, to the designs of Langton T. Foster ARIBA of Wallingford. The builders were Boyd and Murley Ltd of Reading, and the cost was about £9,000.

In 1969-70 the church was reordered by Lance Wright ARIBA. In 1973 a new porch was added, and a paved courtyard laid out in front of the church.

Description

The front façade of the church is of glazed brickwork in header bond with red brick dressings. It is framed by giant Tuscan pilasters of rubbed red brick and a moulded brick dentil cornice, more early-mid eighteenth century than late-eighteenth century in character. Two large arched upper windows with glazing bar sashes. The façade has been altered, to its detriment, by the addition of the porch and by the rebuilding of the parapet. A drawing of the earlier appearance of the facade appears in Stell/RCHME, p.17.

The interior is a single volume space of portal frame construction or similar. There are no furnishings of particular note, apart from a domed brass tabernacle in a wooden case behind the altar.

Heritage Details