A functional portal framed design, built in the 1950s as a dual-purpose church-hall; the projected larger church never materialised.

The parish was erected in 1956 and the church built in 1957-8. It was opened by the Archbishop of Birmingham on 2 October 1958. The architect was J. Lynch of Jennings, Homer & Lynch and the contractor Messrs J. O’Flanagan of Coventry. Initially the building was intended as a dual-purpose building which could be used as church and hall, until a permanent church could be built. However, this never materialised. A primary school was built in 1959, a presbytery in 1960 and a convent in 1961. A social centre was added in the 1970s. The church was consecrated by Archbishop Nichols on 28 February 2007. It was reordered in 2006 and again in the past year, when a canopy in the sanctuary was removed and the sanctuary floor altered.

Description

The church was built in 1957-8. It is a portal framed structure with trusses of laminated timber. The external walls are faced in brown brick in stretcher bond; the roof is tiled. The plan is rectangular, with a small stone-faced narthex with a parish room at the southwest. At the east is a short concave tower which provides concealed lighting to the sanctuary. The windows have pitched hood mouldings.

The nine-bay interior has six windows on either side and triple windows to the sanctuary. The five-light west window has fine stained glass of the 1950s, depicting the Eucharistic chalice and host. The sanctuary has a timber floor, a central recess with a segmental pediment, and matching furnishings of stone (2006).

Heritage Details