Catholic Church of St Mary and St John
CATHOLIC CHURCH OF ST MARY AND ST JOHN, SNOW HILL
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1208140
- Date first listed:
- 16-Jul-1949
- List Entry Name:
- Catholic Church of St Mary and St John
- Statutory Address:
- CATHOLIC CHURCH OF ST MARY AND ST JOHN, SNOW HILL
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Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2001-03-11
- Reference:
- IOE01/03642/14
- Rights:
- © Mr D.R. Smith. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1208140
- Date first listed:
- 16-Jul-1949
- List Entry Name:
- Catholic Church of St Mary and St John
- Statutory Address 1:
- CATHOLIC CHURCH OF ST MARY AND ST JOHN, SNOW HILL
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 MARY AND ST JOHN, SNOW HILL
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- City of Wolverhampton (Metropolitan Authority)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- SO 91606 98206
Details
WOLVERHAMPTON
SO9198SE SNOW HILL
895-1/14/309 (East side)
16/07/49 Catholic Church of St Mary and St
John
GV II*
atholic church. 1851-5; enlarged east end, 1879-80. By Charles
Hansom. Ashlar with slate roof. Decorated style. Apsidal
chancel and flanking chapels and sacristy to south, nave with
lean-to aisles and transepts. 3-bay chancel has flanking 3-bay
apsidal chapels, all with gabled 2-light windows; chapel to
north has 3-light east and north windows; single-bay outer
chapel to north has 3-light north window; similar chapel to
south masked by sacristy, which has gabled straight-headed
windows to east. Transepts have 4 small gabled projections
with lights under 4-light windows; 2-light west windows,
north-west entrance. 5-bay nave has gabled buttresses and
paired 2-light windows to clerestory. Aisles have gabled
buttresses and 3-light windows; 2-light west windows; 2nd bay
from west on south side has pointed entrance with large
flanking buttresses, one with entrance: signs of projected
tower. West facade has entrance of 2 orders, Crucifixion to
tympanum over enriched paired doors, 6-light window above and
flanking gabled buttresses; gable has Crucifix and flanking
figures of SS Mary and John.
INTERIOR: chancel has 3-bay arcades with rich foliate
capitals, traceried parclose screens; vaulted roof on wall
shafts; east end has stencilled patterns and rich cornice;
chancel arch has hood mould and headstops. Inner chapels have
pointed tunnel vaults, cut through for arcades; all chapels
have double-chamfered arches to transepts. Nave has 5-bay
arcades and higher arches to transepts with quatrefoil piers
and rich foliate capitals; deep-arch-braced boarded roof with
corbelled shafts and stencilling; west organ gallery with 2
traceried organ cases and overthrow. Fittings: High Altar and
reredos enriched with niches and angels, end statues in
pinnacled niches, tabernacle has throne above with pinnacle;
traceried alabaster panels to altar rail; stone pulpit has
traceried panels and relief angels. Chapels have altars except
for outer north chapel, which has rich panelled octagonal font
with smaller bowl to side. Good stained glass, particularly to
east end, probably by Hardman; north aisle has monument to
B.Clark (died 1916) with statue on plinth next to copy of
famous seated statue of St Peter at St Peter's, Rome.
A good example of a mid-Victorian Catholic church notable
particularly for its rich interior fittings and the excellent
naturalistic carving of corbels and capitals.
(Shell County Guides: Thorold H: Staffordshire: London: 1978-:
P.186; The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Staffordshire:
London: P.316).
Listing NGR: SO9160698206
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 378576
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Staffordshire, (1974), 316
Thorold, H, Shell County Guides in Staffordshire, (1978), 186
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 10-Jun-2026 at 19:10:42.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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