York Historic Environment Record

Anglican Church. 1925-6 with additions of 1928, completed 1966. Designed by Walter Brierley, architect, of York and completed by Francis Johnson. Reinforced concrete structure with orange-brown brick facings laid to English bond and moulded brick decoration. Concrete roof vault with asphalt covering. PLAN: North-west tower adjoining single cell combination of nave and chancel, with passage side aisles and an East chapel, and vestry added in 1928. EXTERIOR: Flat-roofed tower incorporates entrance porch, with panelled doors set within splayed segmental-arched doorway set beneath a dentilled hood mould. Above, a corbelled brick niche with a statue of St Chad. North and south elevations with full-height gabled buttresses defining the bays, the walls terminating in a parapet with moulded brick copings which incorporate recessed panels of riased diaper pattern brickwork. Single-light lancets with leaded lights, set within blind recessed pointed arched beneath a continuous dentilled hood mould. Priest's doorway to south-east corner set within low entrance tower, the opening with a 2-centred arch, plank door and dentilled hood. East end with triple stepped lancets below dentilled hood mould. Above, stepped wall head with moulded brick coping. Lower chapel east window of 3 lights with 2-centred arched openingbelow hoodmould. Gabled west end with buttressed central bay. This bay is sub-divided horizontally to form 5 tiers of openings, 4 of which are glazed. INTERIOR: South porch gives access to narthex, with concrete steps to a west gallery, and 2 double doorways which give access to the nave. North and south arcades formed of tall 2-centred arches springing from rectangular piers. East end formed by triple-arched double screen with outer support piers incorporating a piscina to the south and an aumbry to the north. Wider central arch with wooden reredos dated 1929. Hexagonal memorial pulpit of 1940 with carved linenfold panels. Organ gallery to west end, lit by 3 tier, 5 light window. Roof carried on expressed concrete trusses rising from corbelled brick seatings. Chapel with carving of Christ in Glory set between lancets. HISTORY: The church was planned as a memorial to the Rev. Canon G. Argles, Rector of the Mother-church of St Clement, Clementhorpe, and replaced the South Bank Mission Chapel. The church remained unfinished at the architects' death.
An early C20 church designed by the notable York architect, Walter Brierley. It is of special architectural interest for its innovative structural form, and its assured design, demostrating the architect's creative sensitivity to changing liturgical imperatives.

Derived from English Heritage LB download dated: 22/08/2005