Survey Data
Reg No
30409408
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic, Social
Previous Name
Renmore Barracks
Original Use
Church/chapel
In Use As
Church/chapel
Date
1860 - 1900
Coordinates
131370, 225209
Date Recorded
19/09/2009
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Freestanding gable-fronted Roman Catholic chapel, built c.1880, having six-bay nave elevation, lower single-bay chancel to west end, and flat-roofed single-bay sacristy. Pitched slate roof with stone cross finial to gable-front and decoratively cast cast-iron rainwater goods. Rock-faced rusticated limestone walls with chamfered corners, with buttresses to corners of gable-front, chancel and to nave walls, yellow brick eaves course and plinth course and impost level having yellow brick string course incoporating hood-mouldings to nave windows and entrance doorway, and red brick band and sill level having yellow and red brick bands. Yellow and red brick sill course and yellow brick dressings to buttresses. Yellow and red brick decorative panel below chancel window. Round-headed window openings throughout, having red brick voussoirs to nave windows with yellow brick sills and stained-glass windows, sacristy window having cut limestone voussoirs, jambs and sills and replacement timber window, and double-light chancel window having chamfered cut limestone surround and tracery and polychrome voussoirs and yellow brick hood-moulding. Oculus window above front entrance door having polychrome brick surround and stained-glass. Round-arched door opening to gable-front having yellow brick hood-moulding and red and yellow brick surrounds and timber battened double doors. Round-headed door opening to sacristy having tooled stone surround, with timber battened door and plain fanlight. Limestone steps with retaining plinth wall with mild steel railings to sacristy entrance. Interior having painted rendered walls and timber scissors truss roof with moulded timber hanging posts on timber corbels, and marble altar. Church set within its own grounds. Wrought-iron double-leaf gates with painted rendered piers to site entrance. Decorative metal railings set on painted rendered plinth wall to boundary. Rubble stone boundary walls.
Appraisal
The church was constructed for the soldiers stationed at the adjacent Renmore Barracks to attend religious ceremonies. The well executed limestone façade is representative of the fine craftsmanship used in the garrison buildings at Renmore. The contrasting red and yellow brick dressings add textural interest and colour to the elevations and the decorative stained-glass windows enhance the interior, and the standards of the regiments add interest.