Church Of St Hugh

The Church of St Hugh is a parish church completed in 1939, designed by Lawrence Bond. It is constructed primarily of reinforced concrete with brick cladding, and features ashlar and concrete dressings. The building comprises a nave and chancel under a continuous gambrel roof covered with pantiles, while flat concrete roofs cover the organ loft aisles and chapel.

The nave has low, narrow aisles, and a four-stage south tower incorporated into the crossing, with a porch below. A north-facing organ loft and a south-facing side chapel adjoin the chancel. The west end features a flat-topped portico with four square concrete columns, a central doorway with a stepped, flat-headed surround and double panel doors, and a crucifixion scene with three carved stone figures above the door. Above the portico is an eight-pointed star window within a broad, tumbled gable. The nave has six tall, three-light windows to the north and five similar windows to the south; the aisles have smaller, three-light windows, all with concrete heads and mullions, and square leaded glazing. A tall, square tower incorporating a porch is located to the south of the crossing, with double panel doors in a stepped, flat-headed surround and a carved stone figure of St Hugh under a canopy above. The upper bellcote features a single, plain, louvred bell opening on each face.

The chancel has four bays, with a taller, projecting organ loft to the north, containing two windows. To the south, there is a single similar chancel window and a projecting, full-height side chapel containing three comparable three-light windows. The east end features an eight-pointed star window within a tumbled gable.

Inside, the chancel is raised and tiled, with original wooden choir stalls, a gilded wooden lectern, and a simple wooden altar rail with turned balusters. A plain stone altar is raised on a single step and features a painted and gilded wooden canopy. There is a brick and concrete octagonal pulpit with carved and gilded relief panels, and a painted and gilded wooden rood suspended from the chancel arch. The south chapel contains an English altar. The nave retains its original seating, a circular stone font with a carved wave band at its base, and a tall wooden font cover. There is a moulded wooden door surround with double panel doors to the west end, and tiled walling above. Original cruxiform wooden, painted and gilded pendant light fittings are throughout the church.

This church is an architecturally significant and highly original Inter-War design by the prominent local architect, Lawrence Bond, and remains largely unaltered, retaining almost all of its original fittings.