Church Of The Ascension

The Church of the Ascension is a church built between 1956 and 1958, designed by Potter and Hare. It is constructed of local multi-coloured stone rubble, with grey and brown tones, along with some rendered areas. Stone window dressings are present, and the roof is pitched and slated. The building follows a cruciform hall-church plan, featuring aisles and piers which rise to the roof. Shallow transepts are present, and the altar is located in the crossing, beneath a baldaccino. A projection to the north-east contains vestries and a parish room, while a projecting tower to the south-west provides the entrance. A font is centrally placed at the west end.

The church is dominated by its hexagonal tower, with thick flank walls of uncoursed rubble stone and a rendered entrance angle. The tower features vertical precast concrete bell louvres and a pitched roof with deep eaves, the underside of which curves upwards. The east wall of the church is curved, constructed of stone rubble with small hexagonal windows. The transepts have tall, five-light mullioned windows with curved heads, while the north and south sides of the sanctuary have two-light, square-headed, full-height windows with two transoms. All windows feature small rectangular leaded panes.

Inside, tall, green composition piers are present, facetted and tapering at the head and down to the base, rising to a groin vault. A segmental vaulted baldaccino rises over the altar on gilded, fluted, tapering piers, painted to the underside with a figurative design by Robert Medley. A freestanding altar sits beneath this baldaccino, both being raised on a shallow step. Timber altar rails with closely spaced moulded vertical mullions enclose the sanctuary on three sides. Stained glass in muted greens, blues, and yellows is inset into hexagonal apertures in the exposed stone rubble east wall. A sculpted silver metal cross with turquoise glass decoration is also present. The font is of inverted bell shape, covered by a light timber domed cover. A western gallery features a simple white-panelled balustrade, and a six-light west window with mullions rises to full height. Reused 19th-century pews, painted white, are also present. The church was designed to be liturgically advanced for its period, with a freestanding altar allowing the celebrant to face the congregation.