Roman Catholic Church Of St Mary

The Roman Catholic Church of St Mary, built in 1877 by Pugin and Pugin, is noted as one of their best works according to Pevsner. The church features a stone construction in the Decorated style. It has a six-bay nave supported by round columns with foliage capitals and pointed arches, which are adorned with angels and busts in roundels at the springing level. The clerestory windows are segmental-headed, and the aisle windows are three-light pointed arches with early Perpendicular style tracery.

The chancel is short and includes an elaborate Gothic reredos that occupies most of the east wall, with a rose window above it. The ceiling is panelled and punctuated by round arches. Inside, there are pews with iron traceried supports, inset stations of the cross in the north and south walls, and inset confessional boxes in the north wall. The church also features short transepts, marble altar rails, and a pulpit. Notably, there is a very tall and slender south-west tower, while the top part of the tower was added by Peter Paul Pugin in 1906.

The church forms a group with the Cross Keys Public House, Nos 80 to 84 (even), the Trustee Savings Bank, and No 95, alongside buildings dated 1817 and Nos 2 to 6 (even) on Dial Street.