Church of St Oswald and bell tower, Tile Hill

Church of St Oswald and Bell Tower, Tile Hill

A church and bell tower designed by Basil Spence and built by Wimpey between 1954 and 1957.

The church has a concrete portal frame with panels of no-fines concrete and spar dash render to the exterior, covered by a shallow-pitched aluminium roof. The bell tower is of reinforced concrete and cedarwood. The church follows an open, basilican plan measuring 90 by 30 feet, with steps rising to the sanctuary. A porch at the south-western corner is shared with the community hall to the south. The bell tower stands freestanding to the south-east of the church.

The church exterior features windows of clear glass with vertical ribbing to the east and west ends. A fascia board surrounds the building above the eaves. The eastern gable end is blank except for a central beaten copper sculpture of the crucified Christ by Carroll Simms. Both flanks are similar, with bays formed by the portal frame marked by chamfered joints in the concrete panels. Windows have projecting concrete surrounds and are set in the lower wall and at the top as clerestory windows. These windows were held in place while the no-fines concrete was poured around them. At the eastern end of each side is a half bay of clear glass casting light onto the altar and the hanging on the east wall. The west end has a doorway with canopy to the north, with the lobby adjoining on the south side. The western gable end has margin glazing to the sides and top, with a large timber cross on the solid central panel.

The interior has thin timber joists laid between the concrete portal frames forming the ceiling. Between these are filler boards of dark green with occasional bright blue or red panels making an abstract pattern. Original fixtures designed by the architect include choir stalls with ribbed fronts and music storage, organ desk and organ case. The altar and altar rails with attached kneelers have inlayed strips of lighter wood to their uprights. At the east end, a piscina with copper bowl is set in the walling on the south side and to the north is an aumbry with brass door engraved with a cross. At the west end is a circular wooden font with fluted column and copper bowl. Heating dials for thermostats are set into the column uprights of the portal frame, and skittle-shaped light fittings are also original. The hanging at the eastern end is fixed to a rail. Window surrounds to the flanks project internally as they do externally.

The bell tower has four stages of ascending height with corner posts and lintels of reinforced concrete. The lowest and highest stages are bare, while the middle two stages have screens of cedarwood posts with enamelled metal plates set at angles between the uprights. Platforms at the different levels have holes and iron hoops to allow for ladders and bell ropes. The ceiling of the topmost stage has a cross made of concrete beams which has been gilded and bears bolts to anchor a central bell.