St. Mary's Catholic Church — Chapel Road

Freestanding Catholic church on cruciform-plan, built 1890, having three-bay double-height nave to south, single-bay double-height chancel to the north, single-bay double-height transepts to the east and west, three-bay single-storey sacristy to the north-west corner having single-storey block attached to the north-west linked by porch in outer (north-east) re-entrant corner., and with three-stage belltower (on square-plan) attached to the south end of nave having pyramidal slate roof over. Pitched natural slate roofs having exposed rafter ends, box-profile cast-iron rainwater goods with decorative brackets and hoppers, decorative terracotta ridge ridging, and with raised ashlar sandstone verges to gable ends having kneeler stones at eaves level and carved sandstone Celtic cross finials to gable apexes. Pyramidal natural slate roof to tower with wrought-iron Celtic cross finial to apex. Coursed squared rubble sandstone walls with flush ashlar sandstone block-and-start quoins to corners, projecting rubble stone plinth with chamfered ashlar sandstone coping over, and with stepped ashlar sandstone clasping buttresses to corners of belltower, south corners of nave and to corners of chancel having feather ashlar coping over. Pointed-arched statue niche to the south elevation of tower at second stage level having trefoliated head, chamfered ashlar sandstone surround, ashlar sandstone hoodmoulding with label stops, and carved sandstone statue plinth (on hexagonal-plan) having corbelled base, and with carved sandstone Marian statue. Pointed-arch window openings to side elevations (east and west) and south elevation of nave, south elevations of transepts, east side elevation of chancel, and to east and west faces of tower at second stage level and to the east elevation of tower at first stage level, having chamfered ashlar sandstone block-and-start surrounds, chamfered ashlar sandstone sills, and with leaded coloured glass and stained glass windows. Three graded pointed-arched window openings to the gable ends of transepts having chamfered ashlar sandstone block-and-start surrounds, chamfered ashlar sandstone sills, and with leaded coloured glass and stained glass windows. Roundel openings to the north elevations of transepts having ashlar sandstone surrounds, cut stone tracery, and with leaded coloured glass windows. Triple-light pointed-arched window opening to the chancel gable having ashlar sandstone surround, cut stone geometric Decorated Gothic tracery with quatrefoil and trefoil motifs to head, chamfered ashlar sandstone sill, and with leaded stained glass windows. Square-headed window openings to tower at third stage level, and to west elevation at first stage level, having chamfered ashlar sandstone surrounds, chamfered ashlar sandstone sills, and with leaded coloured glass windows. Shallow segmental-headed window openings to sacristy having ashlar sandstone block-and-start surrounds with chamfered reveals, chamfered sills, and leaded windows. Pointed-arched window openings to block to the north-west having chamfered ashlar sandstone block-and-start surrounds, chamfered sills, and leaded windows. Pointed-arched door openings to the south face of tower and to gable ends of transepts having chamfered ashlar sandstone block-and-start surrounds, cut stone hoodmouldings over with label stops, and with double-leaf timber battened doors. Shouldered door opening to west elevation of tower having chamfered sandstone surround, and battened timber door with metal hinges. Square-headed doorway to the west end of south elevation of sacristy having chamfered ashlar sandstone surround, and battened timber door. Square-headed doorway to the porch to the east face of block attached to the north-west side of sacristy having ashlar sandstone surround, and battened timber door. Open interior with decorative scissor trussed roof, timber boarded ceiling, marble altar goods, rendered pointed-arched openings to chancel, pointed chancel arch with polished granite colonnettes, and with encaustic tiled floor. Interior reordered c. 1970. Set back from road in own grounds to the south-west of the centre of Ramelton. Priests graves(?) to the east of church having cut stone Celtic cross memorials (see 40823021) and modern grotto to south. Modern car park to the north and graveyard to the north-west. Single-storey former national school (see 40823022) adjacent to the west. Site bounded on road-frontage to the east by rubble stone boundary wall having ashlar coping and decorative cast-iron railings over. Gateway to the south of boundary wall to road-frontage having a pair of rubble stone piers (on square-plan) having cut stone capping over with cross finials, and with a pair of modern metal gates.