Church of the Holy Child — The Thatch Road

Freestanding gable-fronted cruciform-plan Catholic Church, built 1955-7, facing west and having projecting porch, three-bay nave with side aisles, secondary entrances in quadrant flat-roofed porches to re-entrant corners to north and south and to arcade to north; freestanding campanile to north connected to main volume by arcaded walkway, and recent two-storey flat-roofed extension to east end. Campanile has raised octagonal granite drum with granite finials to each side and domed copper-seamed roof with copper Celtic cross finial; connecting walkway has curved copper-seamed roof. Pitched pantile roof with projecting eaves having granite soffit and aluminium gutters with square-section downpipes. Granite cross finials to all gables; two-stage octagonal copper spire to crossing with Gothic ogee arches and Celtic cross finial. Copper-seamed pitched roof to porch with granite verges. Red brick walling, laid in Flemish bond, with granite quoins to main porch, and decorative granite cross relief to east elevation. Largely round-headed windows with granite reveals, and clerestory and transept windows grouped in threes. Square-headed windows to re-entrant porches. Diminutive blind openings located to apex of gables to north and south and to transepts. Rose window to east elevation with granite tracery. Square-headed entrance doorways, that to east porch set in round-arch recess with moulded granite surround surmounted by granite cross in relief and tiled mosaic of Holy Family with Latin inscription 'Et erat subditus illis' (He was subject to them) and double-leaf timber panelled bifold doors. Multiple-panel double-leaf timber doors to secondary porches and to entrances to campanile and to church from arcade. Interior has basilican plan with arcaded nave of octagonal piers with foliate capitals, and having carved timber relief Stations of the Cross to spandrels. Vaulted semi-domed ceiling divided by bay arches springing from foliate corbels with cross motif. Rendered and painted walls with stained-glass windows to nave and transepts. Nave has wood block flooring and timber pews; aisles have marble flooring; sanctuary carpeted and raised on four marble steps and has marble altar furniture. Statues of Christ and Virgin Mary in north and south transepts respectively.