Phoenix Squash And Leisure Centre

The Phoenix Squash and Leisure Centre, originally St. Cuthbert's Church, was built in 1897-1902 by Temple Moore, and converted to a leisure centre in 1977. Constructed from brick faced with sandstone ashlar, it features Lakeland slate roofs and a lead roof on the south-east tower. The building is of Decorated style, comprising a continuous nave and chancel, narrow aisles, north-east, north-west and south-west porches, a west narthex, a south-east transept, north-east and south-east towers, and east chapel and vestries.

The five-stage north-east tower has a trefoil-headed window in the lower stage, square-headed windows in the middle three stages, paired pointed bell openings with louvres, and a pyramidal roof with a bronze cross finial. The four-stage south-east tower has similar windows in the lower and middle stages, and Caernarvon-headed bell openings under an embattled parapet, topped with a shallow trumpet-shaped roof. The five-bay nave has a deep stepped-chamfered plinth and buttresses between bays. Pointed windows feature Y-tracery, which has been renewed along with the glazing, set in chamfered surrounds with ribbed heads and hoodmoulds. The east end has three stepped pointed windows with curvilinear tracery, and the outer windows are partly blind, flanking buttresses. Small rose windows are in the east and west gables, the west now blocked. A two-storey lean-to narthex has square-headed north windows, also with renewed glazing and hoodmoulds, and a straight parapet, capped with a hipped roof. The porches have double doors under hoodmoulds and slit lights; the south-west porch has studded oak doors, possibly from an earlier church. The transept has doors in a deep chamfered and ribbed surround with three stepped cusped ogee-headed niches, accompanied by a late 20th-century doorway. A window’s tracery has been removed and replaced with renewed glazing under a hoodmould in the gable. The two-bay north-east chapel has a half-octagonal east end and gabled buttresses, with five windows featuring curvilinear tracery and renewed glazing. The lower, canted south-east vestry has four similar east windows under hoodmoulds and three gables.

The interior has been altered, with a first floor inserted and the ground floor divided into compartments for squash courts. Remains of continuous five-bay passage arcades with short, square piers are visible. A wood, five-bay rib-vaulted roof contains carved bosses displaying arms and ribs resting on stone corbels. Stained glass depicting a crucifixion by H. Victor Milner is housed in the round east window.