A mid-1960s church built to serve the growing population around Heathrow Airport. Its layout reflects the ideas emerging from the Second Vatican Council.

With the establishment of Heathrow as the major airport for London, the former village of Stanwell grew rapidly. Formerly part of the parish of Ashford, a new parish was erected and a site acquired for a church in 1965. The foundation stone was laid by Bishop Casey in March 1966, and the church was solemnly blessed and opened by Cardinal Heenan on 15 January 1967 (the proceedings being televised). The new church seated 300. The architects were Denny & Bryan of Watford and the contractors Messrs Y.J. Lovell (Bucks) Ltd; the contract price (which also included a presbytery and school) was £74,000. In an attempt to lessen the noise of aircraft, the roof of the church was insulated and the windows double glazed.

Description

The church is oriented to the northeast: directions here are stated as left/right to avoid any confusion.

The church, like the presbytery and hall, is built of orange-brown brick and is octagonal in plan, with the sanctuary area placed in an angle opposite the narthex-entrance (which houses a repository). Sacristies lie behind and to the left of the sanctuary. There are no windows at ground level and the interior is lit by a range of clerestory lights which fill the width of each face of the building: the glazing of each face is arranged in four tiers and three vertical divisions with amber tinted and white glass. At the centre of the building, rising from the copper roof, is a cupola which is glazed at its base to bring light into the middle of the church. There is further glazing in the roof which throws lit on to the sanctuary.

The interior walls are mostly of bare brick although some surfaces are boarded. The roof has laminated timber beams lined with Rose Zebrano boarding. To the left of the altar is a recess for a Lady altar, originally the Blessed Sacrament chapel (the tabernacle is now in the sanctuary). The bench seating is cranked round to focus upon the sanctuary. There are no fixtures or fittings of particular note.

Heritage Details