Description

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 20/04/2016

1916/0/10031

ATHERTON STREET
Church of Ss Peter, Paul and St Philomena

(Formerly listed as CHURCH OF ST PETER AND ST PAUL)

22-DEC-03

II
Catholic Church. 1935. By E. Bower Norris of Sandy and Norris, architects of Stafford and London. Reinforced concrete shell with mixed red brick facings and ashlar limestone dressings. Copper sheet covering to dome. Classical Renaissance style.

PLAN: Basilican plan, with porch to main entrance, side porches, nave, centre and side aisles, transepts , crossing below dome and sanctuary.

EXTERIOR: Single storeyed canted porch to main entrance, built against tall gabled end of nave with deep ashlar copings incorporating moulded cornice. Gable apex with keyed occulus . Entrances to side porches within setback corner towers with domed cupolas. Tall, barrel vaulted nave of 3 bays, each bay with a tall lancet in its upper walling. Lower side aisles extend on both sides, with a semi-circular headed lancet to each bay. North and south transepts are stepped, the taller rear gable truncated, the lower front bay with a gablet. Crossing with faceted base to tall central dome, the supporting brick-faced drum with paired pilasters breaking through a moulded circular cornice. Above the cornice, a shallow parapet pierced by oval occuli. Above, faceted hemispherical dome with cross finial. Sanctuary with advanced centre and set-back corners to gable wall. Single lancets to each side wall.

INTERIOR: Gallery and organ loft above inner doorway to west end. Centre aisle with flanking arcades of tall semi-circular arches beneath concrete barrel vault. Side aisles with transverse arches link side porches with transept chapels. Sanctuary with high altar with classical marble reredos, composed of columns and pilasters supporting semi circular arched head.. Transept chapels each with altar and marble reredos, and each with paired marble columns supporting pedimented heads. Stations of the Cross designed in art deco style by George Thomas, sculptor, of Liverpool.

A prominently-sited and little-altered Catholic church of 1935, designed by E Bower Norris. Monumental in scale, and with high quality interior detailing, the church with its hemispherical dome is a landmark on both land and sea, and is cited as a navigational reference point on the marine chart for the Liverpool Bay.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• St Peter and Paul's Catholic Church at Wikipedia
• St Peter and Paul's Catholic Church official website
• Wikidata Q7595358

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments