Church Of St Joseph

SD46SE LANCASTER OWEN ROAD, Skerton

1685-1/1/341 Church of St Joseph 13/3/1995

II

Roman Catholic church. 1900. By Pugin and Pugin. Coursed rock-faced sandstone with slate roofs. Perpendicular Revival style. PLAN: nave with clerestory, north and south aisles, a north-west tower, south-west baptistry, chancel, north and south chapels, and a south vestry linking to the presbytery. EXTERIOR: the tower has, on the west side, a 2-light window with reticulated tracery in the pointed head. On the north side is a doorway with moulded Tudor arch. The bell openings are Tudor-arched, of 3 lights with Perpendicular tracery below a parapet with traceried openings and with corner gargoyles. The west nave window is of 5 lights, and the outer order of the jambs is carried down to ground level to enclose a recessed panel which contains a central doorway with pointed arch flanked by one-light windows. The nave clerestory and north aisle are each of 5 bays and have 3-light windows with segmental heads, the central lights trefoiled and the outer ones pointed. The north chapel has a pitched roof and a 3-light east window. The chancel has north and south windows each of 3 lights, and an east window of 5 lights. The south chapel has a circular traceried east window. The octagonal baptistry is linked to the south aisle, which is of 4 bays. INTERIOR: the west gallery has a traceried timber front and contains an organ. The nave arcades are of 5-bays with moulded pointed arches springing from octagonal columns with moulded caps. The tall pointed chancel arch is also moulded. The nave roof has arch-braced collar trusses with wall posts carried oncorbels, and with tracery infill above the collar. The chancel, chapels, and baptistry have timber ribbed roofs with painted panels. The chapels and chancel have carved reredoses, the latter having one which is particularly elaborate with green marble shafts and canopied niches. The north and south chapels and chancel have east windows by Hardman of Birmingham the communion rails, the north and south chancel screens, and the pulpit, by Gillow of Lancaster are of oak with carved tracery decoration. The baptistry contains a plain octagonal font. The church is one of the earliest Pugin designs to display Perpendicular Revival detailing, with the west nave window being exceptionally large.

Listing NGR: SD4769663021