Church Of Holy Cross And Attached Presbytery And School

LICHFIELD

SK10NW UPPER ST JOHN STREET 1094-1/3/236 (West side) Church of Holy Cross and attached Presbytery and School

II

Catholic church and presbytery. 1802-3, the church enlarged and refronted 1834, transept 1892. For Dr Kirk. Front by Joseph Potter (probably Jnr) of Lichfield. Brick with ashlar dressings and front; tile and slate roofs. 4-bay church has transept to left and presbytery to right. Norman/Early English transitional style. Plain plinth, sill course and cornice; coped gables. Front has square angle turret to left with nook shafts, string course, and top cornice and pyramidal roof; offset clasping buttress to right. Round-headed entrance of 2 orders with shafts and scallop capitals, zig-zag and roll mouldings, plank door with enriched strap hinges. Window of 3 pointed lights with shafts, enriched archivolts and continuous hood mould; trefoil above and gable cross. Left return has 3 windows of 2 single-chamfered lights. Transept has coped gable with cross; 2 windows to front have 4-light casements with 2 transoms. Presbytery of 2 storeys; 2-window range. Painted brick and hipped slate roof. Ground floor has 2 round-headed recesses with entrance to left in plain doorcase with cornice and overlight to 4-flush-panel door, large window with 12-pane sash to right. 1st floor has windows with sills, and stuccoed brick flat arches over 12-pane sashes. Right return has small attached outhouses and projecting 1st floor conservatory with horizontally sliding sash to front; ground floor window has 3-light transomed casement. Rear windows part obscured by later transept; 1899 school attached to rear of church. INTERIOR: panelled cambered ceiling; round sanctuary arch with nook shafts and zig-zag moulding, flanking round-headed niches; west gallery over porch. Altar has detached shafts of coloured marble, low reredos with gabled tabernacle. The church was built by Rev. Dr John Kirk, 1760-1851, who was influential in the development of the C19 Catholic church. (Victoria History of the County of Stafford: Greenslade M W: Lichfield: Oxford: 1990-: P.155-6; Rowlands M B: Those Who Have Gone Before Us: Birmingham: 1989-: P.37).

Listing NGR: SK1193408798