Catholic Church of St Joseph

Catholic Church of St Joseph

A church in simple neo-Romanesque style, orientated north-west to south-east with the liturgical east end to the north-west. The building is constructed of randomly coursed stone with yellow sandstone dressings and a slate roof with dentil eaves. The north-west end of the nave is slate hung.

The south-east gable entrance features a central round arched double ordered doorway with a Gibbs head and panelled pilasters. The tympanum is carved with an alisée patée cross (a Greek cross with rounded circular edges). Above is a stepped round headed window joined to form a tripartite lancet. A single-storey polygonal baptistery is attached to the right of the entrance, with its own pointed trefoil-headed doorway adorned with carved reliefs of the heads of Our Lord and Our Lady to the capitals, and a window in the north side.

The main fabric comprises an aisleless nave with round headed windows featuring projecting cills, a polygonal side chapel to the north-east corner with windows to east and west, a west baptistery, and a square ended sanctuary with further additions. The north wall of the nave has two paired small windows to the left with a round window above, and two further single large windows to the right set higher. The sanctuary at the west end has a gabled roof with a central circular window divided into four lights. A smaller building is attached to the north in the angle with the nave, containing a single window in the north elevation. A brick extension and presbytery with sacristy are attached to the south and west.

The south elevation of the nave is divided into two unequal parts, with single tall windows set high to the left and a door in a red brick surround to the right. To the right are two pairs of windows with circular windows centrally above.

The interior nave spans three bays with a timber floor, plastered and painted walls, and a timber boarded barrel vaulted roof. A plain sanctuary arch stands at the west end, flanked by plaster statues of Our Lady of Fatima to the left and St Joseph with the infant Christ to the right, with a banner of St Joseph over the apex of the arch. The sanctuary is raised by two steps and contains a forward altar of marble with an applied relief of the Last Supper. A single circular window to the west is below a crucifix, with three copper panels of saints to either side depicting St Vincent de Paul, St Catherine of Siena, St Juliana Falconieri, St Thomas Aquinas, St Aloysius Gonzaga, and St Hildegard of Bingen.

The south wall of the nave contains extensive stained glass. From left to right, the first three windows depict the Eucharist (dated 1906), St David, and St Patrick; followed by Our Lady of Good Counsel (after the Augustinian church at Genazzano near Rome); and Our Lady of Lourdes with an inscription recording its installation in 1894 to commemorate the golden jubilee of the foundation of the mission. The north wall contains stained glass windows from left to right depicting the Betrothal of Our Lady and St Joseph, St Michael and the souls in purgatory, St Paul, St Peter, and St James.

The north side contains a Sacred Heart Chapel, which has stained glass windows of St Aloysius and Blessed Margaret Mary by Hardman & Co. dated 1910, positioned above a marble altar with a timber statue of the Sacred Heart. The chapel is raised on a single step with decorative steel and brass railings and gate, the gate featuring a painted central Sacred Heart panel. The floor is laid in encaustic tiles with a brass plate in honour of Sr Gonzaga and a carved wooden relief of St Joseph nearby.

A narthex at the east end provides access via a stair to the south-west to a full width gallery, with a confessional underneath featuring coloured stained glass Art Deco style doors. The former baptistery, now used as an entrance porch, has a stained glass window of St John the Evangelist and a floor of reconstituted marble with a central quatrefoil detail.

The sacristy contains a baroque brass and marble holy water stoup with hinged doors bearing repoussé reliefs depicting the Annunciation, a baptism, knights receiving Holy Communion, and ordinations.