Built in the late nineteenth century, evidently on a tight budget. However, the building forms a conspicuous feature in the conservation area.

The church was built to meet the needs of Catholics living in the vicinity of Loftus. The foundation stone was laid on 29 August 1882. The building was consecrated in June 1949. The architect was Martin Carr of Middlesbrough, the builder Thomas Dickinson of Saltburn.

Description

The church is set on rising ground on the north side of the main road running through Loftus and is fairly prominent visually. It is constructed of common, light red bricks with sandstone dressings to the tower. The basic form of the building is a long rectangular, aisleless nave plus three-sided sanctuary, a tower on the south side of the nave, a Lady Chapel attached to the northwest side of the nave, a vestry at the southeast corner and a small, square projection at the west end with a glazed top-light. West of the tower is an entrance and four confessionals under a single roof. The roofs are covered with Welsh slate. The windows are mostly wooden-framed, square-headed ones apart, from a lancet at the west end, two large lancets on the south face of the tower and, two and three lights with tracery in the apse.

The nave has a west gallery with an organ an open front with notched detailing. Its roof is a somewhat spindly hammerbeam design with iron tie-rods and a raised tie-beam with crown post and struts. The walls are plastered and coloured in a pale cream tint. The triple arches to the Lady Chapel and the single arch to the baptistery beneath the tower are formed of rough-textured buff brick and look like work of c.1970. The clear glazed infill to the Lady Chapel arcade is a memorial to the Rev. Edward Glynn, priest 1962-81 (d. 1993). The seating has both round-topped and square headed ends.

The most important internal feature is the mosaic work covering the walls of the apse above the dado panelling: large figures of St Cuthbert and St Aelred are set against a beige background. The altar is a twentieth century memorial to the Rev. W. McGlone and consists of white marble with green marble shafts. Large tableaux Stations of the Cross, probably continental. There is modern figurative stained glass in a nave south window and also the south window of the tower.

Heritage Details