Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church and Presbytery

Reasons for Designation

Our Lady of Mount Carmel RC Church & Presbytery are designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * They are a well detailed and imposing composition of a mid-late C19 Roman Catholic church and attached presbytery in Gothic style * They were designed by the notable architect, J O'Byrne, who was a pupil of J.A & C.F Hansom, and the church survives as one of his best works * Both are little altered and retain much of their original historic character and features * The well-proportioned and expansive church interior contains high quality fittings, including marble altars and reredoses, and paintings of the Stations of the Cross by May Greville Cooksey (1928) * They have group value with the adjacent grade II listed retaining walls and tower of Toxteth reservoir (1855), and Toxteth Public Offices (1865)

Details

392/0/10360 HIGH PARK STREET 24-NOV-09 OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL ROMAN CATHOLI C CHURCH & PRESBYTERY

II Roman Catholic church, 1876-8, by James O'Byrne of Liverpool, mainly of red brick with red sandstone dressings, brown brick to rear, slate roofs, attached presbytery of 1880-1 also by O'Byrne and in same materials, Gothic style.

PLAN: Nave and sides aisles under separate roofs, narthex to SE end (ritual west end) fronting High Park Street, presbytery with a double-depth plan attached to SW side, two storey range to rear SW corner attached to church at a right angle (contains sacristy, work sacristy and organ gallery).

EXTERIOR: Church: Single-storey lean-to narthex to SE end with three entrance doorways each accessed by a single step; that to centre is wider with double doors and a gable above with a cross finial. All the doors have quoined stone surrounds with curved jambs and arched heads. Five light window with arched heads incorporated to top of centre door, three light window in same style to each side door, plank and batten doors with highly decorative strap hinges. Taller gabled baptistry incorporated to far right of narthex with tall geometric traceried three light window to front breaking into gable with a continuous hoodmould above, cross finial surmounting gable, plainer tall two light window to right return. Tall nave above and behind narthex with cross finials and kneelers to each gable end. Clerestory incorporating paired lancet windows to each side. Two very tall arched stained glass windows and a rose window (all with geometrical tracery and continuous hoodmoulds) set to SE gable end lighting nave, flanked by angle buttresses rising from the narthex and side aisles. Low side aisles with lean-to roofs to each flanking side (roofs replaced, but original slates retained), lit by small single-light windows to right side. North-west end of nave in brown brick with full-height buttresses, very large arched stained glass window to centre with geometric tracery and red brick surround. two storey brown brick range with red brick dressings attached to south-west side at a right angle, incorporates north-west end of SW side aisle and stained glass traceried rose window, triple-light lancet window with diamond leading and stained glass border to right lighting organ/choir gallery. Similar traceried rose window to end of north-east side aisle.

Presbytery: three storeys plus basement, ridge and end stacks, one over one sashes to all elevations with sandstone sills and lintels. Front (SE) elevation: Facing High Park Street, set back from narthex, cast-iron railings with alternate fleur-de-lys finials in front of presbytery with low red brick piers. Two bays. Paired windows to ground and first floor of left bay, triple-light windows to same floors of right bay, paired windows set within second floor dormers to both bays. First and second floor windows with stone dividing mullions, relieving arches above ground and first floor windows. Left (south-west) elevation: Two gable ends with wall stacks projecting from first floor, arched main entrance lies to left side of right gable with recessed door (probably replaced), three light arched fanlight above. Sash windows above and to left of entrance, small dormer to roof. Two smaller sash windows to second floor of left gable end flanking wall stack. Small yard area to rear (north-west side) separating presbytery from rear sacristy range, enclosed corridor lit by two sash windows along north-east side connects both buildings. Mixture of sash and casement windows to yard elevations (all with angled stone sills and red brick jambs), enlarged replaced window to ground floor left of presbytery.

INTERIOR: Narthex with a patterned tiled floor incorporating a mosaic shield and Latin inscription 'DECOR CARMELI ET SARON' (the Excellency of Carmel and Sharon) from Isaiah Chapter 35, patterned mosaic border to granite dado. eight light window with cusped upper lights and diamond leaded stained glass to NW wall, painted lettering to wall above reads 'This Church was Consecrated by Bishop Halsall on September 5th 1951', flanking doors with arched upper lights containing etched glass lead into main body of church, doorway to right side of narthex converted into a window. Baptistry no longer in use and marble font moved to front left of sanctuary. Tall broad nave with arcaded side aisles incorporating polished grey granite columns with carved stone bases and stiff leaf capitals by Hanleys of Chester. Decorative corbelled niche to SE end above narthex window containing painted statue. Painted angel statuettes of various design set above the arcade springings on corbels originally formed part of the altar reredos. Pendant lights. Modern pews. Continuous ribbed-vaulted ceiling covering both nave and sanctuary. Sanctuary set upon a raised stone platform with elaborate carved alabaster and marble altar rails and decorative metal gates incorporating the letters 'IHS', timber steps behind lead up to an oak altar platform with a parquet floor. Alabaster altar with three octofoils to front separated by cusped lancets, all containing painted and gold leaf imagery. The altar has been moved forward from its original position and extended slightly to the rear, and the elaborate marble sanctuary piece/reredos incorporating painted and gold leaf imagery moved back against the rear wall (both repositioned in 1978). Large traceried stained glass north-west window (1880s) above. Further marble and alabaster altars and reredoses to small chapels to north-west ends of each side aisle. Oil paintings of the Stations of the Cross by May Greville Cooksey of Southport (1928) to both side aisles, series of confessionals along north-east side aisle set behind partly glazed panelled doors. Choir/organ gallery to west corner set within adjacent sacristy range, accessed by a stone dog-leg stair. Panelled timber front incorporating pierced quatrefoil motifs, choir pews, organ by Gray & Davison of London installed in 1880. Door below left of organ gallery with adjacent large decorative timber niche containing a statue of St Bernard with flanking imagery panels, leads into the sacristy and work sacristy with panelled cupboards. Cupboard-lined corridor along outside south-west wall of church leads into presbytery.

Presbytery: Original panelled doors throughout, deep carved skirtings, roll moulded cornices, reeded door surrounds with raised top corners. Some original timber and marble fireplaces to ground and first floor, others replaced or removed, two painted cast-iron fireplaces to second floor. Art Nouveau-style patterned mosaic tiled dado to entrance vestibule, along with mosaic floor incorporating fleur-de-lys motifs and patterned tiled border. Stair hall containing a varnished pitch-pine open-well stair with chamfered and carved newel posts, pendants, and turned balusters. Timber basement stair beneath main stair leads to basement rooms with stone flag floors, plank and batten doors, stone pantry shelving.

HISTORY: Our Lady of Mount Carmel RC Church was constructed in 1876-8 to the designs of James O'Byrne of Liverpool, and the attached presbytery was added in 1880-1. It is believed that the name of the church was in part selected due to the elevated position of the site and its suggested representation of Mount Carmel. The church was opened on 21 July 1878 by Bishop O'Reilly.

Originally to the rear of the church was the detached Our Lady of Mount Carmel School associated with the church. However, following a fire in the 1970s the school building was demolished (apart from a section of basement wall) and the school moved to a new site. In 2001 the parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel incorporated the nearby parish of St Finbar after the church of the same name closed.

SOURCES: Architectural History Practice. 2008. Churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool: An Architectural and Historical Review. Pollard R & Pevsner N. 2006. The Buildings of England Series. Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West. Page 471.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: Our Lady of Mount Carmel RC Church & Presbytery are designated at grade II for the following principal reasons:

* They are a well detailed and imposing composition of a mid-late C19 Roman Catholic church and attached presbytery in Gothic style * They were designed by the notable architect, J O'Byrne, who was a pupil of J.A & C.F Hansom, and the church survives as one of his best works * Both are little altered and retain much of their original historic character and features * The well-proportioned and expansive church interior contains high quality fittings, including marble altars and reredoses, and paintings of the Stations of the Cross by May Greville Cooksey (1928) * They have group value with the adjacent grade II listed retaining walls and tower of Toxteth reservoir (1855), and Toxteth Public Offices (1865)

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

507552

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Pollard, R, The Buildings of England: Lancashire, Liverpool and the South-West, (2006), 471
Architectural History Practice in Churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool: An Architectural and Historical Review, (2008)

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.