St John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church

Freestanding barn style gable-fronted Roman Catholic church, built c.1800. Three-bay double-height nave with central breakfront and porch addition to front (north-east). Sacristy and service building to rear (north-west). Pitched slate roof with rendered overhanging eaves, carved limestone bellcote and cross finial to front elevation and cast-iron rainwater goods. Rendered chimneystack to sacristy. Roughcast rendered walls with line-and-ruled render to front elevation. Rusticated concrete cladding and rendered plinth to porch with raised render cross to gable. Pointed arch window openings with rendered surrounds and sills to nave having six-over-six pane timber sliding sash windows with Y-tracery to upper sashes. Square-headed window openings to porch and sacristy having fixed timber-framed windows to porch and four-over-four pane timber sliding sash windows to sacristy. Elliptical-headed door opening to porch having double-leaf timber battened door. Square-headed door opening to sacristy having timber battened door. Marble alter to interior with recessed render reredos and carved timber gallery to rear (north-east). Polychrome tiles to aisle. Timber battened ceiling. Square-profile rendered piers with cross finials and pedestrian stile to front of site.

A simple church which is an excellent example of the small scale churches which were built in the decades preceding Catholic Emancipation. Though slightly altered by the porch addition, its original form remains apparent. Like many early churches, it was altered and renovated in the nineteenth century, and retains much historic fabric of that date. The handsome pointed arch timber sliding sash windows, polychrome aisle tiles and gallery are among the many noteworthy surviving features.