Church Of St Catherine

BIRKENHEAD

SJ28NE CHURCH ROAD, Tranmere 789-1/3/278 (West side) 28/03/74 Church of St Catherine

GV II

Parish church. 1831, enlarged and altered 1875-6 by J.Francis Doyle, and tower and spire added 1879. Original build of brick, extended in rock face red sandstone, with Welsh slate roof. Original nave of 5 bays, with 4 windows and doors in western bay to north and south. One northern window now cut by inserted doorway. 2-light Decorated windows. 3-light Decorated west window in projecting square bay with quatrefoil over. Transepts and chancel form later additions, but with similarly styled fenestration. North-east tower and spire: 2-stage tower with high first stage with clasping buttresses and chamfered and moulded arched door to north. Foiled blind lancet over, then bell-chamber light with louvres. Stair turret in angle with chancel. Corbel table, embattled parapet and brooch spire with lucarnes. 5-light Decorated east window. Interior: aisleless nave of four-and-a-half bays with shallow hammerbeam roof of 1875-6. Western bay partially blocked by inserted hall. Moulded stone arches to transepts carried on short shafts. Scissor braced roofs, mostly renewed. Shafts with stiff-leaf capitals to chancel arch, and angel-head stops to hood mould. Integral stone pulpit, and contemporary octagonal font, both with marble shafts and stiff-leaf. Wrought-iron communion rails. Stained glass: simple fruits and flowers in transept windows, undated. Lamb of God and saints in east window, 1869. (The Buildings of England: Pevsner N and Hubbard E: Cheshire: Harmondsworth: 1971-).

Listing NGR: SJ3187287487