A modest interwar Gothic church, altered internally.

At the beginning of the twentieth century new coal mines were opened around Doncaster, attracting an influx of workers; the mine at Woodlands was owned by the Thellussons of Brodsworth Hall, and opened in 1907. A new planned village was built for Woodlands from about 1909.The Doncaster mission of St Peter-in-Chains was unable to cope with the increasing Catholic population of the area and in 1909 Bishop Gordon of Leeds appointed another priest, Fr Fleming. By 1915, a Mass centre was established in the Co-operative Hall, which was then at Woodlands Inn. The onset of World War I delayed building, and the present church was opened in August 1925 as a chapel-of-ease to St Peter’s. Woodlands became an independent parish in 1927 and adjacent land was purchased for the building of the presbytery, parish hall and school. The church was the first to be consecrated by Bishop Poskitt of Leeds, on 13 April 1938.

Late twentieth century additions include extensions to the link block and a garage to the rear of the presbytery. The latest extension (2009) is a small lean-to building on the west elevation to provide an accessible WC.

Description

A compact church is of simple Gothic design, built in red brick laid in Flemish bond, with stone dressings and a tile roof. The plan consists of a five-bay aisleless nave, sanctuary and a west porch with a modern lean-to addition. A projection on the north side of the nave houses a sacristy and confessional with a bell turret above.

The west elevation faces the street, has a shallow flat-roofed rectangular porch with a central pointed stone doorway. The gable end is crowned with a stone cross. To the north of the porch is a modern red brick lean-to extension. The north and south elevations have pairs (four to the north and five to the south) of lancet windows with diagonal leaded glass, separated by buttresses. The east elevation of the lower sanctuary has a three lancet window. The windows on the east and south elevations are protected by polycarbonate sheeting. There is a 1930s presbytery to the east of the north elevation, attached via a link block.

The interior has plastered walls, plainly painted and an inserted tiled suspended ceiling. It is well lit by the paired lancet windows to north and south. The floor is carpeted. The sanctuary has a sloping ceiling with four exposed purlins, and the floor is raised by two steps up from the nave, with a further step to the tabernacle stand. The suspended ceiling cuts across the east window. The sanctuary furniture is of modern buff brick, introduced as part of a post-Vatican II reordering; the font is now placed to the right of the steps. The nave benches were obtained from a church in Huddersfield which closed in 1927.

Heritage Details