Church Of Our Lady And St Joseph

CARLISLE

NY4055 WARWICK ROAD 671-1/11/302 (South side) Church of Our Lady and St Joseph

GV II

Roman Catholic church. 1891-3 by Dunn, Hansom and Dunn of Newcastle. Red sandstone ashlar on chamfered plinth, with stepped buttresses, string courses and eaves cornice. Graduated greenslate roofs with coped gables and cross finials; decorative ridge tiles. West 3-storey tower; 8-bay nave/chancel under common roof, with aisles and contemporary south porch; in Perpendicular style. Tower has west double doors in pointed arch within a cusped and pedimented porch with Statue of Our Lady; left angle turret projects and rises above battlemented parapet; small 2- and 3-light traceried window; belfry has pierced quatrefoil panels with cusped heads under flat arches. Aisles have traceried 3-light cusped-headed windows under flat arches; the north aisle has broad and narrow interval buttresses. 2-light cusped-headed clerestory windows under flat arches. East window of flowing tracery is based on the Bishop's Eye at Lincoln. INTERIOR: screened baptistry with organ gallery projecting from the tower arch above. 7-bay aisles have grouped and octagonal columns under pointed moulded arches. Open timber vaulted roof with carved angel corbels. Open late C19 pine benches. Late C19 and early C20 unsigned figurative stained glass in some windows. Chancel has carved wooden figure in elaborately figured carved surround under canopy, against east wall. HISTORY: An earlier design for a church on this site by the same architects, dated 1877, was published (see Carlisle Library Collection). Plans for the church are in Cumbria County Record Office, Ca/E1/339 and Ca/E4/2432. The foundation stone was laid on 18 May 1891, on land belonging to the Duke of Devonshire. It cost »10,000 and opened in 1893. The Presbytery of red brick adjoining the church is of the same date and architect (not included).

Listing NGR: NY4064655850