Presbytery and boundary wall to the Roman Catholic Church of the Most Holy Trinity

Summary

Presbytery and boundary wall to the Roman Catholic Church of the Most Holy Trinity, built in 1957-60 from designs by H S Goodhart-Rendel.

Reasons for Designation

The presbytery and boundary wall to the Roman Catholic Church of The Most Holy Trinity, built in 1957-60 from designs by H S Goodhart-Rendel, are listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Architectural interest and group value: both the presbytery and boundary wall are a part of H S Goodhart-Rendel's original 1950s design for this Roman Catholic complex, and have strong group value, in terms of their architectural treatment, with the Grade II* listed church.

History

A mission was established in Bermondsey as early as 1773, possibly the earliest mission in the present Archdiocese of Southwark. The chapel built at that time was destroyed by the Gordon rioters in 1780. It was rebuilt, but replaced in 1837-38 by a new church by Sampson Kempthorne. This was destroyed by a V-bomb in March 1945. The present church, is in a prominent location on the corner of Jamaica Road and Dockhead, was built between 1957 and 1960. The attached presbytery was completed by 1958. The architect was H S Goodhart-Rendel PPRIBA, of Goodhart-Rendel, Broadbent and Curtis. The boundary wall is part of the 1950s design.

Details

Presbytery and boundary wall to the Roman Catholic Church of The Most Holy Trinity, built in 1957-60 from designs by H S Goodhart-Rendel. The presbytery was completed by 1958.

PRESBYTERY

MATERIALS: patterned brick with a pitched slate eaves roof and slate hung gables.

PLAN: the presbytery is L-shaped on plan.

EXTERIOR: the presbytery is attached to the east end of the church and is in a free neo-Georgian style, with banded brickwork, striped in red on a yellow background with a panel of red brick to stair projection. Glazing bars to the upper sash windows, and to both sashes of the staircase window. Windows are segmental-headed to the ground floor and staircase and square headed above. The staircase cills step down diagonally. To the right of the staircase is a projecting porch with segmental entrance.

INTERIOR: not inspected.

BOUNDARY WALL
The church and presbytery are partly enclosed by a low brick wall with red brick banding, half-round copings and gatepiers, all part of the 1950s layout.

SELECTED SOURCES
Architectural History Practice, ‘The Most Holy Trinity, Dockhead, Bermondsey’, Taking Stock: RC Archdiocese of Southwark, 2011
Cherry, B. and Pevsner, N., The Buildings of England, London 2: South, Penguin, 1983
Evinson, D., Catholic Churches of London, Sheffield Academic Press, 1998
Summerson, J, ‘Goodhart-Rendel, Harry Stuart (1887–1959)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004
Catholic Building Review. Southern edition, 1958, pp. 92–3; 1960, pp. 76–7
Catholic Herald, 14 June 1957; 23 October 1959; 18 March 1983

End of official list entry

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