An accretive building of limited architectural interest, originally a simple 1920s mission hall, now with enlargements of the 1960s and 1980s.

The site was purchased from Arthur Crosbie of Deacon’s House Farm. The church was at first served from St Mary’s Widnes, but a new parish was formed in 1926. The community was at first a rural one, and the population of the area did not increase significantly until after the Second World War. The church building was enlarged in stages to cater for this growing population.

Description

The original mission hall of 1923 was a single-cell rectangular building with four windows on each side and a presbytery at the liturgical east end. A copy of the original architect’s drawing hangs in the church. A large transept was added in 1961 and another in 1982, producing a T-shaped worship space. As a result of these alterations the original building was completely submerged. Most of the side walls of the original mission hall were removed and the original roof of the hall was extended westwards over a new aisled nave. A new forebuilding containing an office, shop and lavatories was also added, probably at the time of the 2004 refurbishment, when the exterior was re-rendered and the interior redecorated and re-seated.

The interior is a wide, comfortable carpeted space in which the only reminder of the original building is the rafter roof. The original presbytery still survives, somewhat altered from its original layout, and is used for parish activities. The detached presbytery stands at the front of the large site, on land which is shown on the plan of 1923 as being intended for a larger church building.

Heritage Details