Catholic Church of St Francis of Assisi
CATHOLIC CHURCH OF ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI, HIGH STREET
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1113767
- Date first listed:
- 10-Jan-1985
- List Entry Name:
- Catholic Church of St Francis of Assisi
- Statutory Address:
- CATHOLIC CHURCH OF ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI, HIGH STREET
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Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2002-10-20
- Reference:
- IOE01/09025/29
- Rights:
- © Mr David Black. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1113767
- Date first listed:
- 10-Jan-1985
- List Entry Name:
- Catholic Church of St Francis of Assisi
- Statutory Address 1:
- CATHOLIC CHURCH OF ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI, HIGH STREET
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- CATHOLIC CHURCH OF ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI, HIGH STREET
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Central Bedfordshire (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Shefford
- National Grid Reference:
- TL 14260 39011
Details
TL 1439 SHEFFORD HIGH STREET 8/111 (south side)
- Catholic Church of St Francis of Assisi
GV II*
Roman Catholic church. Designed by S J Nicholl of Kentish Town, erected at expense of Mrs Lyne-Stephens of Lynsford Hall, Thetford, Norfolk. Opened 1884. Red brick with ashlar dressings. Clay tile roofs. Church is oriented N-S, with alter to S end. Rectangular plan overall, consisting of nave and chancel, the latter with narrow aisles formed by 2-bay arcades within structure. In C14 style. Nave: N (road) gable has large pointed-arched 4- light window with cusped flowing and panel tracery. 3-light ogee window to apex. Stone coping to gable, with crucifix finial. To LH side is slightly projecting 3-stage bell-cote. To ground floor is pointed arched doorway, recessed within higher pointed archway with traceried spandrels. Central stage has canopied niche with figure of St Francis, flanked by single lights. Gabled top stage almost entirely in ashlar, has ogee headed niche with statue of Virgin and Child. Nave also has windows to W and E in similar style. Chancel: has windows to W and E, similar in style but with 4-centred arched heads. The pointed-arched arcades have rather slender columns. Interior: reredos, approx. 9 metres high, is in ornate High Gothic style, of carved stone including alabaster and marble, and has figures of saints within crocketed canopied niches. Arcades have foliate capitals. Nave has half- height cedarwood panelling with carved and painted Stations of the Cross inset at intervals. Carved stone pulpit to SE corner of nave in High Gothic style. High Gothic carved stone Lady Altar to SW corner of nave, the Virgin and Child partly gilded. Stained glass to Lady Altar window, and to windows in nave W and E. NE of nave is octagonal font with crocketed wood spire cover. Angular wagon roofs to nave and chancel, timberwork to nave plain and open, that to chancel infilled, with painted and gilded angels and bosses. Gallery to N end of nave.
Kelly's Directory of Beds, Hunts and Northants, 1885, pp 107-8).
Listing NGR: TL1426039011
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 37665
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Kelly's Directory in Bedfordshire Huntingdonshire and Northamptonshire, (1885), 107-108
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 04-Jun-2026 at 05:44:30.
Download a full scale map (PDF)© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100024900.© British Crown and SeaZone Solutions Limited 2026. All rights reserved. Licence number 102006.006.
End of official list entry