A 1950s brick-built church for a housing estate. It has clean, simple lines and a light, welcoming interior but is not a building of architectural or historic significance.

The church was built to serve a new council housing estate at Haughton, a former village on the northeast fringes of Darlington. It provided for 280 seats (including the gallery). The parish was founded from St William’s and the church was opened in December 1956 having cost a total of £10,800, exclusive of the seating. The site provided for a future presbytery and hall (both subsequently built).

The church was reordered in 1990-91 by Richard Lyons, architect. This involved a new sanctuary floor, conversion of the baptistery to a piety shop and of a confessional to a cry room. A new timber altar and lectern were supplied by Ormsby.

Description

The church is oriented to the northeast; directions stated in this report are liturgical.

This is a single-cell, plainly detailed building with a nave and slightly narrower sanctuary: at the west end is a gallery with glazed-in narthex beneath. It is built of narrow, two-inch bricks with stone dressings under a ‘Dignis’ (slate-like) tiled roof. The windows are round-arch and arranged in pairs in the side walls of the nave. Over the west entrance is a three-light window. The sanctuary has three lights each side and an oculus window in the east wall.

The interior was reordered in 1990-91, as described above. It is plastered and painted a light cream colour. Over the nave there is a segmental-shaped ceiling with panels of fibreboard. The sanctuary has on oak-panelled ceiling and the walls are panelled in oak up to a height of seven feet. The floors are of thermoplastic tiles but the whole interior is now carpeted. No fixtures or fittings require particular mention.

Heritage Details