English Martyrs Catholic Church
Stamfordham Road/Druridge Drive,
Newcastle upon Tyne NE5 3JR
The original Church was built in 1929, and the present Church built in 1963. The original Church is now used as the church hall. The identity of the architect has not been established, but on stylistic grounds there is strong reason to believe that this was David Brown of Newcastle.
The Church is orientated north-south, but this description follows conventional liturgical orientation.
The Church is in a stripped modern Gothic style, its reinforced concrete frame clad externally in traditional brick. The roofs are copper-clad and the windows concrete-framed. Steps and a side ramp lead to the shallow-canted and west front, where the tall narrow entrance faces Stamfordham Road. A central splayed recess with a concrete low pointed arch surrounds a partly-glazed double door and a window of three stepped lights. There are tall, narrow windows of plain glass in the five bays of the nave and the single bay of the slightly-recessed sanctuary have four slim horizontal bars in three lights. The east elevation is shallow-canted and blind. The low aisles each have two small projections, that at the southeast a link to the presbytery; windows have soldier-arched lintels, segmental in the projections.
Inside, the narrow aisles have tapered transverse arches formed by the feet of the concrete posts, and the arcades have shallow-pointed arches formed by down stands from the nave walls. There are three steps to the sanctuary, which has marble furniture of simple geometrical forms. There is a tall hardwood reredos with projecting canopy against the east wall. Paired trusses at the sanctuary steps form recesses, that at the south leading to the sacristy. At the west end there is an organ gallery with plain parapet and raised rail; glass and wood west screen to entrance lobby. The simple high-quality pews have open backs.
In 2020 the hardwood reredos and canopy had to be removed after years of problems with woodworm. The wall has been plastered and painted.
(Information kindly supplied by taking stock)