A 1960s portal-framed church built to serve a large post-war housing estate. 

The church was built to serve the large post-war Southcourt estate, south of Aylesbury. The parish hall was opened first, in June 1963, when it doubled up as a Mass centre. Work began on the church in January 1967, and by 1 October the building was in use. The architect was M. J. Plester (assistant in  charge B. L. Westbury) and the contractors were Crendon Industrial Buildings Ltd of Long Crendon. Much of the work was done using voluntary labour.

Description

The building is of concrete portal frame construction, clad in randomly coursed reconstituted stone or concrete blocks. It has a shallow-pitched roof and recessed bays with tall narrow windows and blue panels below. There is a flat hood over the entrance. The building widens at the east end, with splayed rear-lit bays, recalling Spence at Coventry Cathedral. The external wall of the sanctuary is braced by clasping steel buttresses.

The interior has not been inspected; a photograph above is from the Catholic Building Review (1967). Two older stained glass windows are set into the wall over the sanctuary; their provenance has not been established.

Heritage Details