A 1960s concrete-framed church by Scott & Jaques, moving away from Scott’s earlier basilican Romanesque style in a more Modernistic direction. The tall brick tower is something of a local landmark.

A parish was erected and a church built at Northolt in 1965, as a daughter church to St Gabriel, South Harrow (qv). Today the parish is served from St Gabriel’s

Description

The church is a concrete-framed building in a modern style.  The external facings are of brown brick laid in Flemish bond, the windows are all metal-framed and the roof covering was originally of copper but appears to have been replaced in felt. The church is conventionally orientated. The plan comprises a nave and sanctuary under a continuous shallow-pitched roof with low flat roof aisles to the nave.  At the west end of the nave is a two storey section containing parish rooms, with tall brick northwest tower attached to one side. The west elevation has five rectangular windows with flanking doorways now blocked under a long canopy. Above the canopy and stepped into the shallow gable are five longer windows. The return elevation of the two storey section has pairs of small windows on both floors.  The main church entrance is now the south door. The nave side elevations have continuous clerestories of triple lights with brick mullions under gabled heads and the aisles have simple rectangular windows. The sanctuary is distinguished externally by the wider spacing of the easternmost clerestory window.

Inside, the concrete frame is exposed against bare brick walls. The lower part of the west wall has a full-width opening to the hall space.  In the nave there are straight-headed openings to the side aisles between the uprights of the concrete frame which are carried across the nave as the main rafters of the roof. The sanctuary occupies a full-width platform in the two eastern bays.  The east end wall is blind with a central plastered reredos panel with a crucifix and a suspended canopy over the original position of the altar.  To either side of the canopy are the pipes of the organ in a modern timber enclosure. The timber benches in the nave are presumably original.  The other fittings are very simple, and include a new altar of c2010 by Jim Keegan.

Heritage Details