Church of All Saints, Darlaston

Church of All Saints, Darlaston

This is a reinforced concrete-framed church with a copper roof, built in red hand-made bricks laid in Sussex bond. The sloping site, which descends from south to north and is marked by a bomb crater from 1942, accommodates a plan consisting of a nave with south-western porch and side aisles cut through the thickness of internal concrete buttresses. To the south of the choir and chancel stands a Lady Chapel with an apsidal eastern end. The bell tower rises above the Lady Chapel porch, with two storeys of vestries and an organ loft positioned on the north side of the church at its eastern end.

Exterior

The south side features a projecting porch with a segmental copper roof and cross finial. The wooden double doors have a reeded surface pattern and recessed circular bronze handles. The portal is surrounded by carved stone panels depicting angels to the sides and saints adoring the Trinity above the doors.

The nave extends eastward with six bays, each containing a central square-headed lancet to the lower brick walling. Above these, each bay has three lights divided by ashlar mullions combining to form a continuous run of eighteen undifferentiated lights rising to the eaves. The plain flank of the bell tower projects slightly beyond this sequence. The tower features large openings to its upper body on the east and west fronts, with metal balustrades to the lower body above which two bells are suspended from their stocks. The tower roof is shallow and pyramidal with a metal cross at the apex.

The choir projects eastward with a five-mullioned light window similar to the nave fenestration. In front of this is the lower Lady Chapel, which has a fluted stone-surrounded door at its left with a bishop's coat of arms above, and a run of five joined two-light windows to the upper walling at its right. A shallow copper dome appears over its eastern end, crowned with a metal crucifix.

The north wall of the nave has two-light windows to the upper wall of the five eastern bays and a taller window to the western-most bay. A two-storey vestry block projects at left, featuring a doorway at right of centre with a panelled door and a stone surround that rises to include the first-floor staircase window. Three ground-floor windows with stone surrounds flank this doorway. Above this block, recessed and forming the north flank of the choir, is a five-light window matching the south side. To its right projects the rectangular organ loft, sheathed with copper.

The east end displays plain brick walling to the sanctuary wall with a large relief cross. The form of the barrel vault is expressed by an arched gable. The apsidal end of the Lady Chapel appears at left, and the vestry block with three narrow first-floor windows at right.

The west end is abutted by a link building to its lower body. Above this is a circular window at the centre of the wall, below an arched gable.

Interior

The passage aisles flanking the nave have timber linings to the flanks and intrados of each opening through the flanking buttresses. The nave floor is wood blocks arranged in a chequerboard pattern. The chancel is floored with Travertine marble slabs, and the eastern wall is faced with similar slabs. Walling elsewhere consists of a self-coloured lime and stone-dust mix.

The barrel-vaulted nave ceiling is of concrete, cast on corrugated iron shuttering to give a ribbed effect and then coated with acoustic material. Aisle ceilings are of oak-faced plywood. The choir has a plaster barrel vault with a series of concave indents.

The pulpit, of reinforced concrete, includes a stone panel carved by Potter showing the Agnus Dei. The oak lectern in the form of the eagle of St John was also carved by Potter and is a fixture. The church contains oak pews in the nave designed by Twentyman, along with choir stalls, reading desks, altar rails and altar, all designed by the same designer. The piscina and sedilia are incorporated into the window bays on the south side of the chancel.

The font at the centre of the west end has a tapered body of black granite with an incised gilded trellis pattern and a wooden lid carved by Potter with fishes.

The east wall is dominated by a tapestry added in the 1970s, which replaces a plain cloth hanging. Above it projects a panelled tester from the east wall.

The Lady Chapel has panelling to its lower walls salvaged from the former church. The dome above its eastern end is painted in imitation of sky. The altar and rails were designed by Twentyman, with the altar front featuring ribbed timber with the Alpha and Omega signs superimposed.

The vestry block retains its original staircase, and the vesting rooms have their original cupboards.

Church Hall

The church hall is joined to the west end of the church by a single-storey lobby with a glazed wall and double doors to its south side. A wheelchair ramp was added in the late 20th century.

The south side of the hall has brick walling to either side of eight window bays with timber panels to their lower bodies and casement lights above, which have been altered by uPVC replacements. A foundation stone, laid by A G B Owen CBE on 1 November 1956, is set into the lower brick wall at left.

The north side has brick walling to the lower body and a continuous run of eight two-light windows above. The roof, formerly covered with copper sheeting, is now covered with corrugated sheets of stainless steel.

The lobby area has reeded panelling to the north wall and a tiled floor. The hall has H-section steel supports to the north side and a folding screen to partition part of the space. The floor covering has been replaced, and the kitchen in the north-west corner has been refitted.

The small electricity substation attached to the lower walling at the centre of the north flank of the church building is not listed as of special architectural or historic interest.