Saint Bartholomew's Catholic Church

Detached five-bay single-storey rubble stone Gothic Revival Catholic church, c.1870, on a cruciform plan comprising three-bay single-storey nave with single-bay single-storey gabled projecting lower porch to south-west, single-bay single-storey transepts to north and to south, and single-bay single-storey cancel to east having single-bay single-storey infill sacristy to north-east. Pitched slate roofs on a cruciform plan (gabled to porch; hipped to sacristy) with clay ridge tiles, cut-stone coping to gables having rendered bellcote to apex to west (with trefoil-headed aperture, and cut-stone coping to gable), wrought iron cross finial to apexes to porch and to chancel, and cast-iron rainwater goods on cut-stone eaves. Random rubble stone walls with buttresses to nave and to porch having cut-stone coping, and hexafoil recess to gable to west (possibly originally open) in cut-stone frame. Trefoil-headed window openings (paired to nave; in tripartite arrangement to chancel) with cut-stone block-and-start surrounds incorporating chamfered flush sills, and fixed-pane leaded stained glass panels. Square-headed window openings to sacristy in bipartite arrangement with cut-stone block-and-start surrounds incorporating chamfered flush sills, cut-stone mullion, and fixed-pane leaded stained glass windows. Full-height interior open into roof with decorative clay tile to aisle, carved timber pews, open timber roof construction to nave having timber panelled ceiling, and pointed-arch arcade to transepts on cut-granite columns. Set back from road in own grounds.(ii) Gateway, c.1870, to east comprising pair of unpainted roughcast piers with rendered capping, and wrought iron double gates.

An appealing, modest-scale church, attributable to Samuel Ussher Roberts (1813 - 1892), which retains its original form and fabric, both to the exterior and to the interior. The construction in locally-sourced rubble stone produces an attractive textured visual effect, while cut-stone dressings attest to high quality stone masonry. A simple interior incorporates features of artistic design quality, together with important timber joinery including an exposed roof construction of some technical engineering interest. The church forms a focal point in the landscape, and contributes to the visual appeal of the locality.