A functional centrally-planned church of the 1970s built by Lanner Construction, a firm responsible for many similar churches in the diocese and elsewhere. It replaced a church of 1860.

The mission was established in 1849 and a church dedicated to Mary Immaculate and St Gregory was built in Union Street in 1860 by the convert priest, the Revd. George Bampfield (who also established missions at Cheshunt and St Albans, qv). This was consecrated on 15 December, 1931. It was replaced by the present church in 1975, built by Lanners of Wakefieldafter a design by Steel Bretman & Partners, architects. At the time of inspection (October 2012) the narthex was due to be enlarged to a design by Kyle Smart Associates. The presbytery next to the church was designed by Scott & Jaques.

Description

The church consists essentially of two intersecting tent-roofed octagons of unequal size with a flat-roofed single-storey narthex on two sides of the lower octagon and flat-roofed sacristies on all four sides of the taller octagon. The space between the two roofs is glazed. The external walls are faced with red brick laid in Flemish bond and the tent roof is covered in clay tiles. The rectangular windows of varying size have all been renewed in uPVC. 

Internally the floor is covered in parquet, the walls are faced with artificial stone against which the glulam timber trusses of the roof are conspicuous. The sanctuary is simply a raised dais. The fittings are simple, modern and all of timber.

Heritage Details