Roman Catholic Church of The Most Holy Trinity

Roman Catholic Church of The Most Holy Trinity

A Roman Catholic church built between 1957 and 1960, designed by the renowned architect H.S. Goodhart-Rendel. Following Goodhart-Rendel's death in 1959, the church was completed by the successor practice of F.G. Broadbent and Partners.

The church is constructed of yellow and red brick laid in polychrome patterns with some blue brick, and has a slate roof to the eaves. Its plan is longitudinal, comprising a nave, chancel, short sanctuary, and tall passage aisles under a pitched overall roof, with transepts surmounted by a pitched roof that oversails the nave roof.

The exterior is dominated by a pair of polygonal western towers with low conical roofs, their top stages featuring segmental louvred openings. Between the towers stands the main entrance set within a tall arched recess, with a five-light transomed window above. The lower parts of the towers are decorated with horizontal stripes, contrasted with diagonal stripes on the walls of the recess. The main entrance itself has a green slate, square-headed surround with a projecting hood and nine small square openings with quatrefoil glazing; the double doors bear large-scale petal decoration.

The flank walls display large interweave patterning in the lower sections and hexagon patterning above, with red headers on a yellow background between. Semi-circular mullioned windows sit high on the north flank wall. The south side has similar windows, three of which are accompanied by five-light windows below. The transept end walls feature nine-light segmental-headed windows with pent-roofed single-storey passages beneath. The short sanctuary walls are largely blind, save for a single five-light segmental window high in the east wall.

The interior reveals a nave with round-headed transverse arches and barrel vaults to each bay, reinforced by tie-rods. Tall semi-circular-headed arcades with transverse barrel roofs open onto semi-circular-headed openings serving the passage aisles. At the west end, an organ gallery above the entrance vestibule is screened by a part-glazed timber screen with small panes of leaded glazing and central doors. The sanctuary is barrel-vaulted, with half-barrel vaults to its north and south aisles. A raised, projecting half-round pulpit of green and buff stone is mounted on the north nave wall, with triple openings behind. The altar rail at the sanctuary steps is formed as a low wall of moulded green stone. Full-width steps ascend to the sanctuary, encompassing the side chapels. The lower sanctuary walls are lined with contrasting grey and buff stone with two tiers of pilasters beneath a cornice.

The original high altar is now surmounted by a gilded mahogany canopy with hexagonal coffering on its underside. Set into the upper tier of the sanctuary wall is a ceramic triptych in high relief by Atri Cecil Brown, depicting the Nativity, Christ with Saint Peter, and Pentecost, installed in 1958. The church has subsequently received a post-Vatican II marble forward altar with tabernacle stand and gradine against the east wall. Other chancel fittings include a pair of timber benches.

Throughout the church, parquet flooring is laid and windows are clear-glazed with leaded lights. Additional fittings include the Stations of the Cross executed as high relief glazed ceramic designs by Atri Cecil Brown, installed in 1971, a polygonal stone font now positioned at the west end of the nave, and simple timber bench seating of probable original date.