The Gothic design is old fashioned for its date. Nonetheless the tower and spire have a certain grandeur, the building is well crafted, and the church with its walled setting makes an important contribution to the street.

The foundation stone of Holy Family church was laid in March 1938 and the church was opened by Archbishop Amigo in January 1939. The cost was about £6,000. The architect was E.J. Walters and the builders Musselwhite & Son of Basingstoke (as reported in the Surrey Mirror, 20 January 1939). This press account also refers to ‘an imposing baldacchino at the high altar…supported by marble columns’, but this did not survive a post-Vatican II reordering by Austin Winkley, which also saw the introduction of new furnishings by David John.

Edward John Walters was the son of the better known F.A. Walters. He was articled to his father c.1898, later becoming his assistant until 1915 when he joined the army. After the war, he was made a partner and, from 1924, the firm practised as F.A. Walters & Son. According to the compiler of F.A. Walters’ biographical file in the RIBA “After Edward joined his father as a partner the output [of the firm] became even more traditional and archaeological in outlook.” In 1924 F.A. Walters’ eyes began to fail and, from 1928 onwards, Edward was responsible for all the work carried out by the firm. As a designer he is not thought to have been very creative, more of a borrower of past styles than an innovator.

Description

The church is built in red brick with Bath stone dressings and tiled roofs. The most striking feature externally is the tower and copper-covered pyramidal spire. The style is Early English Gothic Revival. The building makes an important contribution to the street in which it stands. Inside, the walls are of cream-coloured brick, the arcades are stone and there is an open timber roof to the nave.

Entry amended by AHP 29.10.2026

Heritage Details