A functional combined church and hall of the late 1950s, built primarily to serve the influx of Irish construction workers coming to Aldermaston at that time.

The church of St Michael was built largely by and for the Irish construction workers who came in the 1950s to build the nuclear research centre at Aldermaston. According to an article in The Universe (28 April 1967), ‘when the Aldermaston centre was begun, there was no known Catholic in the area. In 1967 Tadley counted 600’.The church was designed to seat 150 and cost £10,000, of which £7,000 was raised by the workers at Aldermaston. The combined church and hall was built to the designs of Lewis Trevers FIAS and the builder was Harry Russell Ltd of Woodley. The church was opened on 15 August 1959, the feast of the Assumption, and was blessed by Archbishop on 27 September 1959, close to the feast of St Michael the Archangel.

The diocesan database records an extension to the church in 1981, possibly the west porch. The interior was redecorated and embellished in 1992.

Description

A combined church and hall, built to a functional brief and design. Brick clad, with western entrance porch (later addition), large metal framed side windows at the west end (to church?) and smaller windows at the east end (to hall?). The presbytery is located to the south and is connected to the church/hall by a low link. The shallow pitched roof is clad with concrete tiles.

The interior has not been inspected. The QIR for 2001 says that it was redecorated in 1992, and that these works included a new oak altar and tabernacle plinth by John Donovan, a stained glass window, and a painted cross by Derek Barr of Silchester.

Heritage Details