Church Of St Martin And Attached Cloister And Vicarage

The Church of St Martin, with its attached cloister and vicarage, was built between 1938 and 1939 by Lavender and Twentyman. The church is constructed of brick with pantile roofs. It comprises a two-bay chancel with a north vestry and a south chapel; a six-bay nave with low aisles. The exterior features plain coped gables and parapets with narrow round-headed windows. The chancel’s east bay is narrower and lower, with a raised-brick cross to the east, and returns with triple east and paired west lights. The aisles incorporate four-light chamfered brick-mullioned windows and round-headed entrances to the east, while the clerestory has paired lights. The west front has a round-headed entrance with splayed reveals and stepped arch, featuring paired, diagonally boarded doors. A statue of St Martin with a broken sword, sculpted by Donald Potter, sits above the entrance. Four louvred bell openings are present, with single ones to the returns. The aisles project forward with small windows. An entrance is provided beneath an arcade to the north-west.

Inside, the sanctuary arch is plain with a panelled ceiling. There is a square-headed sedilia and piscina to the south, and a tall east recess with a canopy and curtain. The nave and choir have ceilings on plain beams, while the choir features three-bay square-headed openings to the north and south with rounded piers. The nave has plain round-arched arcades and a tall tower arch with panelled infill, paired doors, and a grille above. The sanctuary has walnut joinery (oak is used elsewhere), with an altar featuring square panels and an altar rail with castellated supports. Stalls have plain fronts, and a square-panelled pulpit incorporates an Agnus Dei. The chapel has a square-panelled sanctuary, altar, and rails. The nave includes timber lamp brackets, each with three hanging lamps.

A cloister is located to the south-west and features three-bay round arcades and plain parapets, with iron gates to the rear. The vicarage is arranged in a right-angle plan with a short wing to the north, a hipped roof, brick cross-axial stacks, and windows with casements. Entrances are located on the return of the north wing and to the cloister. This is a good example of a mid-19th century church that integrates well with the contemporary vicarage and connecting cloister.