Church Of The English Martyrs

The Church of the English Martyrs is a Roman Catholic church built between 1863 and 1867 by Edward Welby Pugin, with an enlargement in 1888 by the same architect. It is constructed of rock-faced sandstone and has a slate roof. The church features a nave with north and south aisles, coupled north and south transepts with chapels on the east sides, and a five-sided apsidal chancel, all designed in the Gothic style.

The west front of the church is elaborate, showcasing three prominent pinnacled turrets, one of which is corbelled off the apex and adorned with statues in niches. The other turrets rise from buttressed octagonal corners and are decorated with blind arcading. A large two-centred arched eight-light window with multifoiled circular tracery is a key feature beneath the turrets. Below this window is a tripartite porch from 1888, which has a crocketed gabled center containing a moulded arched doorway flanked by corbelled statues, along with a similar doorway on the north side.

In contrast, the six-bay nave and aisles are simply designed, with the aisles featuring attenuated arched two-light windows with plate tracery, while the nave has a clerestory with 18 small lancets. The coupled transepts, which project from the aisles and are the same height, have tall three-light traceried windows, and their chapels have windows with geometric tracery. The chancel is adorned with coupled two-light windows.

Inside, the church has seven-bay aisle and two-bay transept arcades supported by tall columns with heavily-foliated carved caps, all unique. These columns carry moulded two-centred arches with hoodmoulds that feature festoons at the springing. The interior also includes a wagon roof, a projected west gallery (now with an enclosed baptistry beneath), aisles with transverse arches and side arches, and arcaded transepts with coupled and triple corbelled wall shafts. The sanctuary is elaborately decorated with a dado featuring statues of saints and martyrs, along with a canopied reredos.