Description

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 04/11/2011

SD31NW
664-1/1/4

SOUTHPORT, Birkdale,
EVERTON ROAD (East side),
Roman Catholic Church of St Teresa of Avila, with attached presbytery (No.27)

II

Roman Catholic church with attached presbytery. 1897 (dated
1897 on foundation stone in west gable of church) by Sinnott,
Sinnott and Powell; slightly altered. Red brick with dressings
of red sandstone and some buff terracotta, slate roofs.
STYLE: Early English.
CHURCH EXTERIOR AND PLAN: 2 elements in a single composition,
with the presbytery linked to the north side of the nave by a
short enclosed cloister. In Early English style, has an
unusual concentric cruciform plan composed of a narrow nave
opening out into broad full-height 2-bay aisles under hipped
roofs, with a fleche over the crossing, a short gabled
transept to each aisle, and the chancel forming the fourth arm
of the cross.
The nave, with a low sandstone rubble plinth and 2 bands of
buff terracotta, has 2 lancets and a rose window in the west
gable wall, all with hoodmoulds, and a steeply-pitched coped
gable with an apex cross; its south side has a gabled porch to
the first bay and 5 lancets which have hoodmoulds with carved
stops.
The protruding west angle of the south aisle has a doorway in
its south face; and the gable of the transept to this has 2
lancets like those of the nave, and the east angle of the
aisle has a similar lancet (there are no windows in the east
walls of the transept, aisle or chancel). The gable of the
north transept carries a bellcote.
CHURCH INTERIOR: very wide central space with 2-bay arcades to
north and south, each with 2-centred arches on a cylindrical
pier with carved foliated cap; 4 altars (one in the north
aisle and 2 in the south, in addition to that in the chancel)
each with a carved reredos. Good stained glass windows, one by
Hardman of Birmingham.

PRESBYTERY PLAN: has a short south-east wing linked by a short
single-storey range to the church, has an otherwise square
plan (plus an added lean-to porch-cum-parlour along the south
wall).
PRESBYTERY EXTERIOR: 2 storeys and attic with a pyramidal roof, a
2-window west facade with a red terracotta string course,
sandstone impost bands to both floors, and a sloped cornice of
5 corbelled courses (all carried round). The ground floor has
a wooden canted bay window to the right, a 3-light mullioned
window to the left with chamfered mullions and
segmental-headed sashed lights which have glazing bars in the
upper leaf; the upper floor has matching windows.
The roof has a large 4-light attic dormer with a hipped roof
and apex cross; and a cruciform chimney stack in the centre
with corbelled cornice. The south side has simpler
single-light windows.
PRESBYTERY INTERIOR: not inspected.

Listing NGR: SD3349615763

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of St Teresa of Avila, Birkdale at Wikipedia
• Church of St Teresa of Avila, Birkdale official website
• Wikidata Q18347653

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

• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)