Church of the Most Precious Blood

Freestanding gable-fronted Romanesque-style Catholic church, built 1954, having seven-bay nave elevations, apse, six-stage bell-tower abutting west long wall at entrance end of building, and secondary entrance bay abutting east. Square-plan six-stage bell-tower has diminutive round-headed openings to each stage with Venetian opening to bell-stage. Copper-clad room supports octagonal tempietto with copper-clad roof and surmounted by cross. Shallow pitched copper-clad roof with copper guttering to projecting eaves course with arcaded frieze below and cast-iron down-pipes. Coursed granite ashlar wall to front elevation only (including window surrounds), framed by full-height clasping pilasters and arcaded raking course to shallow gable, with projecting corbelled arch to apex supporting copper cross. Lower two stages to tower and east entrance bay have rock-faced granite ashlar walls with smooth granite ashlar quoins. Roughcast cement rendered walls to remaining elevations, smooth rendered at ground floor level with rock-faced granite ashlar plinth course, having chamfered granite trim and smooth granite ashlar course above. Double-height round-headed window openings with stepped chevron heads springing from slender colonettes, with cushion capitals and plain architraves. Leaded coloured glazing with storm glazing. Three square-headed door openings to front elevation with bowtell-moulded surrounds and double-leaf diagonally-sheeted hardwood doors, that to centre framed by recessed colonettes with cushion capitals. Stone lintel to each door opening surmounted by semi-circular fanlight with voussoirs, central opening having chevron detail and filled with Portland limestone figurative plaque with carved angels and holy Eucharist. Full-span granite paved platform and ten granite steps enclosed by raking granite plinth walls with iron handrails. East entrance bay has door opening to east, detailed as per central door opening, with fanlight and opens onto fight of granite steps enclosed by raking granite plinth walls. Nave elevations abutted by flat-roofed rendered projections with granite plinth course to sill level and groups of round-headed window openings with stained-glass windows. Concrete paved short front avenue and tarmac parking to west enclosed by steel railings with concave entrance screen having steel railings and gates hung on granite piers. Interior has vestibule to front with terrazzo flooring and central mosaic panel. Three square-headed door openings with double-leaf varnished doors having hexagonal leaded glazed panels and brass furniture open into main body of church. Painted plaster walls and ceilings with central shallow barrel vault and deep running moulded cornice. Parquet flooring and timber pews with full-height arch to apse.