The first purpose-built church of the nineteenth century Catholic revival in Huddersfield. The builder Joseph Kaye adopted the thin Gothic style of the Anglican Commissioners’ churches for both the exterior and the interior.

Land for the new church was leased from the Ramsden family in 1831. The church was built from designs by the builder Joseph Kaye of Huddersfield (1783-1858), not to be confused with Joseph Kay of London (1775-1847), and opened on 26 September 1832. The interior was redecorated in 1874, and a new stained glass window in the sanctuary unveiled. The building was re-seated and a new organ installed in 1889. A porch was added in 1962 and the sanctuary reordered (John Black architect); in later alterations, the side altars were removed and a new altar, lectern and font installed. The exterior was cleaned in 1980-1.

List descriptions

Church

II GV

1832. Ashlar. Pitched slate roof. Coped gable end. 2 octagonal turrets with conical caps and foliate finials on west front. Diagonal buttresses with crocketed pinnacles at corners. 5 ranges of untraceried chamfered lancets, separated by shallow buttresses to aisles. West front has 2 untraceried chamfered lancets to aisles, and 3-light west window with Perpendicular tracery. C20 Perpendicular one-storey exonarthex. Interior: Shallow ribbed apse, with triple lancet. Quadripartite rib vaults on foliate corbels: ridge rib. Gallery at west end on clustered columns. Listing NGR: SE1411516961

Presbytery

II GV

Mid C19. Ashlar. 2 storeys. String at eaves level. Crenellated parapet. 4 ranges of stone mullioned casements with hoodmoulds, of which north one breaks forward. 3 windows with pointed arches and marginal glazing bars on ground floor. Door with pointed chamfered arch and square hoodmould.
Listing NGR: SE1411516961

Heritage Details