Church Of Our Blessed Lady Immaculate

NZ 05 SE CONSETT ST. MARY STREET (North side) Blackhill 5/78 Church of Our Blessed Lady Immaculate II Roman Catholic parish church. 1854-7 by A. Dunn; spire 1872. Coursed squared sandstone with ashlar plinth, quoins and dressings; Welsh slate roof with stone gable copings. Aligned north-south. Aisled nave with ritual south-west porch and south-east tower in south aisle; chancel with north link to presbytery attached to north-east. Early English style. West front has double boarded doors in shafted cusped arch and moulded 2-centred-arched surround; 3 tall lancets above and trefoiled roundel in gable peak; south-west door in 2-centred chamfered arch under gable with statue in niche; lancet windows, paired in aisles and tall in each of 3 sides of east apse, and paired in south wall of lower chancel; 5 cinquefoil clerestory lights. Steeply-pitched roofs with cross finials. 3-stage tower has triple south lancets and plate-tracery 2-light east window in first stage, under relieving arches; string below second stage with statue in niche under clock on south, and tall slender paired lancets on east; set-back third stage has paired bell openings under cinquefoils in panels with foliage-carved cornices. Parapet with corner and centre gargoyles at string course; pyramidal slate roof has large lucarnes and wrought iron cross finial. 4-stage octagonal north-east stair-turret has small door with shouldered arch and window with shouldered heads; top stage, on string with gargoyles, has lancets under gabled drip-string on gargoyle stops. Tall stone spire with small lucarnes and cross finial. Gabled buttresses to aisles, angle buttresses to tower, tall coped west buttresses. Interior: painted plaster over boarded dado; painted ashlar dressings; panelled chancel. Arch-braced scissor-truss nave roof with side struts on moulded corbels; chancel roof of painted panels with medallions. 4-bay north and 5-bay south arcades have high 2-centred chamfered arches to porch, chapel and continuation of north arcade under west organ gallery on wood brackets. East nave wall covered in painted canvas, with Gothic-lettered border to chancel arch, and dim pictorial panel. Gothic-style wood reredos; late C19/early C20 traceried altar, communion rail and pulpit. Chamfered square pew ends have oval enamel number plaques. In porch a wall stoup under a cusped arch, and painted cast-iron Gothic-style pillar stoup.

Listing NGR: NZ0980451554