A functional brick-built church/hall of 1960-61, typical of its time and not of special architectural or historical interest.

The church was built in 1960 (opened 15 January 1961) at a cost of £23,000 as a dual-purpose building to serve a new parish bordering Oldbury and Old Hill. The design was by Jennings, Homer & Lynch of Brierley Hill, who were responsible for many Catholic churches erected at that time in the West Midlands; the builders were J. Hickman & Son. It was built to accommodate some 250 people. The parish is served from St Francis Xavier, Oldbury.

Description

This is a steel-framed, golden brown, brick-faced church consisting of an entrance hall off which lead a reception room, WC and kitchen. The main hall is 48 feet long up to a folding screen beyond which is the sanctuary area. The steeply pitched roof was originally covered with cedar shingles; these have been replaced by tiles on the south (ritual) side but remain on the north. Sacristies are contained in the rear of the main hall and beyond which is another hall added after the original building was opened. The window over the entrance is constructed of reinforced pre-cast stonework and glazed with tinted glass. Below the window is a series of low-relief panels depicting the Five Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary. On both sides of the main building are strips of glazing. Inside, the walls are plastered and painted in light colours. There are no fittings or furnishings that require particular mention.

Heritage Details