A medium-sized mid-Victorian Gothic Revival church of conventional form, whose interior is given additional interest by a number of elaborate fittings. Unusually, the sanctuary has not been reordered.

The first priest came to Batley in 1853.  Land for a new church was purchased in 1861 and the building was completed in December 1870. The architect was John Kelly of Leeds. The original church consisted of a nave and chancel under one roof with a south porch. In 1884 the church was enlarged by the addition of transepts containing side altars and the small apsidal northwest baptistery was probably added at the same time. The marble high altar was installed in 1929. The sanctuary mosaics were installed in 1952. The church has escaped major post-Vatican II liturgical adaptation.

List description

II

Gothic Revival Church. 1870. Dressed stone. Pitched slate roof.  4-bay buttressed nave with porch to right and apsidal baptistry to left. Transepts. Nave windows are 2- light with stained glass and cusped heads with single quatrefoil over. Each bay has relieving arch. The front of the church is apsidal. The rear elevation, to the road, has central triple group of very tall lights with sexfoil in head. To each side is 2-light similar window with quatrefoil in head. Central doorway with pointed arch and cambered head. Plain but colourful interior. The apsidal chancel is treated as a blind arcade filled with mosaic, above which are 9 paired 2-light stained glass clerestory windows. Chancel arch with 2 carved figures. Chapels to left and right separated by 2 bay arcade. Later gallery to rear below which is glass screen forming vestibule. Arched braced hammer beam roof.

Heritage Details