Roman Catholic Church Of The Good Shepherd

Roman Catholic Church of the Good Shepherd. Built between 1962 and 1964, designed by Gerard Goalen, with stained glass by Patrick Reyntiens. The church is constructed of concrete and brick, with a roof not visible from the exterior. The main space is an elongated hexagonal plan, with the altar centrally located on one side, opposite the main entrance. A rectangular extension surrounds the hexagon, accommodating a lady chapel, baptistry, choir, vestries, and an entrance foyer, linking to an earlier presbytery which is not part of this listing.

The entrance front is single-story, built of brick with a concrete fascia. It features a central segmental-headed entrance, flanked by half-octagonal-headed entrances to either side. Above this rises a series of tall, narrow concrete panels containing dalle-de-verre stained glass. These panels extend to meet segmental-headed arches defined by the concrete fascia. A slender, pointed concrete tower rises to the left of the entrance front, widening partway up into a square bell chamber with horizontal grilles.

Inside, four slender piers support a delicate groin vault of smooth concrete, which curves to meet the pier heads. The vault incorporates ventilators and four circular lamp housings clustered near the north (liturgical) side. The upper walls are filled with Reyntiens’ dalle-de-verre stained glass in purples, mauves, greens, and blues; the panels are broader and richer in the three arched areas behind the altar. A low aisle runs along five sides of the hexagon. The altar is constructed of concrete, and the timber altar rails echo the segmental arch motif.

This church is an example of a design based on Liturgical Movement principles, with the altar offset from a centralized plan—an arrangement considered innovative for England at the time. The building is notable for its spatial qualities, delicate vaulting, slender piers, and fine stained glass.