A modern dual-purpose church and hall. The ecclesiastical function is only expressed externally by two cross finials on the roof ridge, and by the apse shape of the ritual east end. The large hall serves its parish and community well but is not of architectural or historical significance. 

The parish was erected in 1960. After Sunday Mass had been said in various premises, a prefabricated church was set up which cost £8,500. The tabernacle came from the South Shields convent of The Sisters of Mary Medical Missioners, Americans who were returning to the United States. The parish website says ‘After consulting various parish groups it was decided to continue in the same way as the temporary church and have a dual purpose building which was capable of celebrating the solemnities as well as being used as a parish/community centre … the proposals could be accommodated on half the site which meant it was possible to sell surplus land for housing and this income helped fund a large proportion of the cost.’ 

Description

Ritual east is approximately at actual south; ritual orientation will be used in this description.

This a simple structure in bright red brick, in stretcher bond, with artificial stone dressings and upvc windows; the roof covering is thin grey slates, with five large roof lights in the north slope. A door at the west end of the pent south extension, holding offices, leads to a narthex and flight of stairs to a meeting room. The church hall is rectangular, with the sanctuary on the stage at the polygonal east end; nave and sanctuary are separated by a downstand, with open panels, from the low-pitched roof, and a full-height vertically-slatted blind. The simple wooden altar faces east but can be turned to face west when the hall is being used as a church. The wooden font and ambo stand near the altar, the tabernacle stand is set in front of a panelled reredos against the east wall. The tabernacle is of bright metal, with rectangular plan and hipped lid, with richly-moulded front panel.

Heritage Details