Church Of St Joseph

CROSBY

SJ39NW WARREN ROAD, Blundellsands 778-1/3/146 (North side) Church of St Joseph

GV II

Roman Catholic church. 1885-6, by AE Purdie. Sandstone rubble, slate roofs. STYLE: Early English. PLAN: nave, north and south aisles with porch and turret at west end of north aisle, diagonal porch and apsidal chapel at west end of south aisle, 2-bay chancel with north and south aisles. EXTERIOR: the 5-bay nave has pilaster-buttresses and one quatrefoil clerestory window in each bay; its buttressed west gable has 5 lancets to an internal narthex, a west window of 4 unequal lancet lights, a spherical-triangle in the gable and gable coping with an apex cross. Attached to the north-west corner is a large full-height gabled porch with a tall octagonal bell-turret embraced by its west corner: the porch has a large 2-centred arch with shafts and 4 orders of moulding and a traceried tympanum over a pair doorways, and the turret has staggered lancets (presumably to a spiral staircase), louvred belfry lancets and a slated spire with swept eaves. On the south side an apsidal chapel projects from the 2nd bay of the aisle, and the west angle with this is filled by a diagonal porch which has a doorway in similar but simpler style to that of the north porch, and an embattled parapet. The full-height chancel has a stepped triple-lancet east window. INTERIOR: aisle arcades of cylindrical columns with moulded caps, and moulded 2-centred arches; arch-braced scissor-truss roof with wind-braced purlins, carried on short wall colonnettes with carved caps; 3-bay arcaded west narthex, and gallery over this with brattished coping; tall 2-centred chancel arch with clustered shafts and moulded arch; 2-bay chancel with 2-bay north and south arcades, elaborate carved marble and alabaster reredos.

Listing NGR: SJ3076099655