A small, simple brick Gothic design of the 1870s by C. A. Buckler, for the owner of Hadzor House. The church has an attractive and characterful interior and with the adjoining former school lies in an idyllic rural setting.

The wife of Theodore Howard Galton converted to Catholicism in 1862, followed a few months later by her husband. On coming into possession of Hadzor House (eighteenth century with early nineteenth century additions) in 1877, he opened a chapel in the house and arranged for Mass to be said there by a Passionist priest from Broadway. He then gave land and money for the building of a simple Gothic chapel designed by C. A. Buckler, which was opened by the Bishop of Birmingham on 16 July 1878. A school was also built. The account of the opening of the church in The Tablet reported:

‘The church, built to accommodate 100, contained 150 persons on this occasion, including several Protestants. It is a simple edifice of the Flemish brick style of architecture of the thirteenth century, built from the designs of C. A. Buckler, Esq., of 6, Hereford-square, London—the builder being Mr. A. Stokes, of Droitwich. In the triplet at the east end (for it stands east and west) are three subjects in stained glass by Mr. W. Miller, of 12, Blenheim-street, London, W., the centre being occupied by a figure of the Immaculate Conception; to the right St. Richard de Wyche and to the left St. Herbert (sic). The altar is of oak surmounted by a handsome tabernacle, by Mr. Joseph Whitehouse, of Birmingham, who also supplied the crucifix, candlesticks and sanctuary lamp, all very solid and handsome. The antipendium was worked by a member of the congregation, who also presented the harmonium. In place of a rood is a handsome suspended crucifix. On the epistle side at the foot of the sanctuary step is a pedestal surmounted by a statue of Our Blessed Lady, the gift of the Hadzor servants’.

In 1885 a western gallery was added in the church, for the choir and schoolchildren.

The church was initially served from Droitwich but is now in the care of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Redditch (qv). From 1931 to 1974 Hadzor House was used as a minor seminary by the Divine Word Missionaries.

Description

The church is a simple, small red-brick structure of a nave and sanctuary in one, with a south porch. Tiling covers the roof. There is a bellcote on the gable at the west end, housing one bell, a gabled porch to the southwest and a lean-to sacristy to the northeast. The south elevation has single and paired lancet windows and attached buttresses marking the bay divisions, the east and west windows are of three lights, while the north elevation is windowless.

The interior has a scissor-braced roof and painted plastered walls. There is a gallery at the west end, added in 1885. Plain pews with moulded tops. Three windows have pictorial stained glass of diverse dates, including the triplet east window depicting Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, St Richard de Wyche and St Hubert (by William Miller, 1878).

Heritage Details