A much-altered church that was never architectural distinguished but which serves its purpose well and is clearly well-used.

Mass in Cottingham was first said at Cherry Garth, home of the Hildyard family, on 17 December 1917. Later the conservatory at Cherry Garth was converted into a chapel. In 1928 the site for the present church in Carrington Avenue was purchased for £440. The new church was opened by Bishop Shine in April the following year. Cottingham became a parish in 1934.

Description

A much altered church, originally with the altar facing north, a brick rectangular building of nave and sanctuary with a stepped parapet at either end. To this church a porch and upper gallery were added in 1954 and perhaps also at this time a new sanctuary was added. Probably at a slightly later date the building was coated with a rough troweled on render. The later sanctuary, however, remains in brick. The roofs are clad with clay tile and profiled metal sheeting. In 1982 a large brick extension was built out to the west, creating a square space, and the altar moved to the east wall, the old sanctuary becoming a large side chapel. Finally, in 2004 community rooms were built out to the west again, around a partly enclosed courtyard. The exterior of the church is dominated by the flat-roofed porch with a full-height slot window, interrupted by a lead band linking a small porch and the west extension, all work of 1982. An external bell hangs at the southwest corner on a piece of wall carried up above the eaves. The old east wall has large three-light rectangular windows with wooden frames.

The interior is more harmonious than the exterior, though clearly betraying its organic growth. The old nave has a canted ceiling with boxed-in trusses. The present sanctuary is defined simply by being set on a raised platform. The upper part of the old wall removed for the extension remains as a down stand supported on two columns and the extended nave seems rather low in comparison to the main space. A broad round arch in brick separates the nave from the former sanctuary, now a side chapel, with a large crucifix on the north wall. Octagonal font with Gothic tracery. Most of the furnishings and fittings date from 1982 and later and are of no particular significance. Stained glass in the east windows to reduce the glare behind the celebrant in the re-oriented church.

Heritage Details