An interwar church in simplified Romanesque style which forms part of a conspicuous roadside group with the presbytery and the original school/chapel built in 1882. The church itself is of limited architectural interest but of considerable historical significance in the community.

The mission was established in 1879 and a temporary chapel built in Featherstall Road. A combined school/chapel was opened in 1882, designed by J. Eaton & Sons of Ashton (this survives behind the presbytery, which was built in he early twentieth century, possibly for Fr Arthur Brosnan, who in 1909 was made administrator and then Rector of the new parish. He built the present church in 1930 at a total cost of just under £5000.

Description

The church is built in a simplified Romanesque style with walls of hard red brick and roof coverings of Welsh slate.  On plan the building is a simple rectangle with a small eastern apse.  The west end is the show front with small round-headed windows at lower level, a large triple window above with mosaic decoration, a corbel table following the line of the gable and an image niche at the gable-head.  The side walls are completely plain with seven round-headed windows divided by stepped buttresses.  The entrance is in the westernmost bay of the north side.

The interior is a single space with a west gallery, round-headed brick arches along the side walls and a canted boarded ceiling. The sanctuary arch in the east wall is semicircular with radiating brick quoins and the sanctuary itself has two small windows in the side walls. The elaborate marble high altar raised on steps survives but there is a modern second altar in front of it and the altar rails have been removed.

Heritage Details