Roman Catholic Church of St Teresa of Lisieux, Taunton
Church of St Teresa of Lisieux | |
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Roman Catholic Church of St Teresa of Lisieux, Taunton | |
![]() Eric Francis's only church | |
![]() ![]() Church of St Teresa of Lisieux | |
51°01′53″N 3°05′23″W / 51.0315°N 3.0898°WCoordinates: 51°01′53″N 3°05′23″W / 51.0315°N 3.0898°W | |
Location | Taunton, Somerset |
Country | England |
Denomination | Roman Catholic |
History | |
Status | Functioning |
Dedication | Thérèse of Lisieux |
Architecture | |
Heritage designation | Grade II |
Architect(s) | Eric Francis |
Years built | 1958–1959 |
Construction cost | £18,000 |
Administration | |
Diocese | Diocese of Clifton |
Clergy | |
Bishop(s) | Declan Lang |
The Roman Catholic Church of St Teresa of Lisieux in Taunton, Somerset, England, dates from 1958–1959. It is the only known church design of Eric Francis, a Chepstow-born architect who worked mainly in Monmouthshire and the South-West of England. St Teresa's is a functioning parish church within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Clifton, and a Grade II listed building.
History and design[]
Eric Francis (1887–1976) was born in Chepstow, Wales. Articled as an architect in 1909, he trained under Guy Dawber and Detmar Blow.[1] He specialised in smaller country houses, including a number in Monmouthshire in collaboration with Henry Avray Tipping.[a][b][2][5] In the 1920s he moved to West Monkton, Somerset, undertaking a number of works in the area until his death in 1976.
The Church of St Teresa of Lisieux was commissioned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Clifton in 1958.[6] Established as an outreach church of St George's Roman Catholic Church, Taunton, it was planned to serve a new council housing estate at Lyngford. Francis designed the church, the accompanying presbytery and a parish hall, but the last was not built. His contractors were Messrs Stansell & Son. The foundation stone was laid by Joseph Rudderham, Bishop of Clifton, in 1958 and the structure was complete by 1959.[6] It remains a functioning parish church.[7]
Julian Orbach and Nikolaus Pevsner, in their Somerset: South and West volume of the Buildings of England series, describe the church as a "striking" design, "between Georgian and Swedish Modern".[8] The construction material is red brick, with steep tiled roofs and a flèche "like a radio mast".[8] The church was designated a Grade II listed building in 2016.[9]
Notes[]
- ^ Francis's works with Tipping include Mounton House and High Glanau.[2]
- ^ Works by Francis alone include Wyndcliffe Court[3] and Chepstow War Memorial.[4]
References[]
- ^ Gerrish 2011, p. 101.
- ^ a b Gerrish 2011, p. 50.
- ^ Gerrish 2011, p. 150.
- ^ Cadw. "Chepstow War Memorial (Grade II) (2503)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ "Eric Francis". Parks & Gardens UK. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
- ^ a b "Taunton – St Teresa of Lisieux". Taking Stock-Catholic Churches of England and Wales. Catholic Bishops' Conference. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
- ^ "Catholic Directory: St Teresa Of Lisieux Catholic Church – Taunton". Catholic Directory. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
- ^ a b Orbach & Pevsner 2014, p. 614.
- ^ Historic England. "Roman Catholic Church of St Teresa of Lisieux and attached presbytery (Grade II) (1438078)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
Sources[]
- Gerrish, Helena (2011). Edwardian Country Life: The Story of H. Avray Tipping. London: Frances Lincoln. ISBN 978-0-7112-3223-5.
- Orbach, Julian; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2014). Somerset: South and West. The Buildings of England. New Haven, US and London: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-20740-8.
External links[]
Media related to Church of St Teresa of Lisieux, Taunton at Wikimedia Commons
- Grade II listed churches in Somerset
- Roman Catholic churches completed in 1959
- Roman Catholic churches in Somerset
- 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United Kingdom
- Grade II listed Roman Catholic churches in England