Roman Catholic Church Of The English Martyrs

963/33/683 MITCHAM LANE SW16 27-MAR-81 (North side) Roman Catholic Church of the English M artyrs

II*

Roman Catholic church. Built in 1892-4 by A E Purdie in French Gothic style. 1962 extension in matching style by T Sibthorpe to ritual north. Church is orientated north north west. Built of coursed Kentish ragstone rubble with Bath stone dressings to most of the building and Portland stone dressings to the spire, slate roof and stone spire. PLAN: Five bay nave with aisles, three bay chancel, north chapel and south chapels and south west tower. EXTERIOR: West end has large traceried window and smaller one to north aisle. Elaborate entrance with three tiers of colonnettes, the central one with steep pediment. South west tower of three stages with broached spire with narrow lucarnes and metal finial. Top or bell stage has wooden louvres and three pointed arches to each face. Second stage has two lancets and statues of St Anselm and St Thomas of Canterbury. Lowest stage has traceried window to west and arched doorcase with three tiers of colonnettes. Five bay nave has triple trefoil-headed and traceried windows below lancets with trefoil decoration above. Chancel is similar with large traceried east window. INTERIOR: Arcade with circular columns with stiffleaf capitals and scissor-braced roof supported on bosses and canopies above statues of Catholic martyrs. The roof was painted in the 1950s, a feature planned but not executed originally. High relief Stations of the Cross with canopies. Arched Confessional doors. Carved west balcony, screen and front row of the pews. Complete set of Hardman glass, including scenes from the life of St Thomas More to west window, Scenes from the life of St John Fisher to east window and other saints and martyrs to other windows. Clerestory glass was resited to 1960s extension. Octagonal font in south chapel. North chapel retains decorative bronze Communion Railings re-sited from main altar. Chancel has painted ribbed roof and elaborate altar with marble and silver gilt tabernacle door of vulning pelican. 1962 extension has similar roof trusses, re-sited original doors, re-sited stained glass from clerestorey and elaborate late C19 Flemish carved wooden altar re-sited from north chapel.

[BOE "London 2: South" P391. "The Builder" 1893. Gerald Brine "A History of the Church and Parish of the English Martyrs Streatham." Pamphlet 1993]

Listing NGR: TQ2996671648