St Joseph's Church is in York Road, Birkdale, Southport, Sefton, Merseyside, England, and is an active Roman Catholic church in the diocese of Liverpool. It was designed by E. W. Pugin, and built in 1865–67 with an aisle added in 1875. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.

History

St Joseph's was built in 1865–67 and designed by E. W. Pugin. The south aisle was added in 1875.

Architecture

Exterior

The church is constructed in red brick with blue brick bands, sandstone dressings, and a

slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...

roof. The original building was in Early English style, and the south aisle is Perpendicular. The plan of the church consists of a six-

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...

nave, a south aisle, a chancel, and a west narthex. On the west gable is a bellcote surmounted by a

finial A finial (from '' la, finis'', end) or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature. In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the Apex (geometry), apex of a d ...

. Along the sides of the church the bays are separated by buttresses. On the north side each bay contains a narrow

lancet window A lancet window is a tall, narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural element are typical of Gothic church edifices of the earliest period. Lancet wi ...

, and along the south aisle the windows are Perpendicular. At the west end, the narthex has a lean-to roof, and contains a gabled doorway approached by three steps and flanked by two rectangular windows. Above the narthex is a large

rose window Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in Gothic cathedrals and churches. The windows are divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery. The term ''rose window'' w ...

. The chancel also has a large east rose window, and there are three lancet windows on each side. Around the chancel is a chequered frieze.

Interior

Inside the church the arcade between the nave and the aisle is carried on octagonal sandstone

piers Piers may refer to: * Pier, a raised structure over a body of water * Pier (architecture), an architectural support * Piers (name), a given name and surname (including lists of people with the name) * Piers baronets, two titles, in the baronetages ...

. The chancel arch has detached demi-shafts with foliated caps and it springs from

corbel In architecture, a corbel is a structural piece of stone, wood or metal jutting from a wall to carry a superincumbent weight, a type of bracket. A corbel is a solid piece of material in the wall, whereas a console is a piece applied to the s ...

s carved with angels. At the east end is a plain

reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular architecture, for ex ...

with a

cornice In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, around the top edge of a ...

and a traceried canopy. Hanging from the chancel arch is a painted rood. Above the east window is a semicircular arch, also springing from shafts with foliated caps. The only stained glass is in the east window, it dates from the mid to late 19th century, and is probably by

Hardman Hardman may refer to: *Hardman (surname) Places United States *Hardman, Oregon, an unincorporated community *Hardman, Gilmer County, West Virginia, an unincorporated community See also * Hardman & Co., a stained glass maker * Hardman Peck, a pia ...

. At the east end of the aisle is an elaborately carved altar, and a reredos incorporating shafts of coloured stone, a central carved stone canopy, and an icon of the Virgin and Child. At the west end is a

pitch pine ''Pinus rigida'', the pitch pine, is a small-to-medium-sized pine. It is native to eastern North America, primarily from central Maine south to Georgia and as far west as Kentucky. It is found in environments which other species would find unsuit ...

gallery, and the organ pipes frame the west window. The two-

manual Manual may refer to: Instructions * User guide * Owner's manual * Instruction manual (gaming) * Online help Other uses * Manual (music), a keyboard, as for an organ * Manual (band) * Manual transmission * Manual, a bicycle technique similar to ...

pipe organ The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ''ranks ...

was built in 1875 by Ainscough of

Preston Preston is a place name, surname and given name that may refer to: Places England *Preston, Lancashire, an urban settlement **The City of Preston, Lancashire, a borough and non-metropolitan district which contains the settlement **County Boro ...

. The noted Catholic composer John Lee was organist here in the 1930s.

Presbytery

Attached to the church is a presbytery dating probably from the same time as the church. It is built in red brick with blue brick bands and a

hipped In vertebrate anatomy, hip (or "coxa"Latin ''coxa'' was used by Celsus in the sense "hip", but by Pliny the Elder in the sense "hip bone" (Diab, p 77) in medical terminology) refers to either an anatomical region or a joint. The hip region ...

slate roof. The presbytery is in two storeys with a six-bay front and a porch at the right end. The windows are sashes.

Appraisal

The church was designated as a Grade II listed building on 29 July 1999. Grade II is the lowest of the three grades of listing and is applied to buildings that are "nationally important and of special interest". The presbytery is listed separately at Grade II.

Present day

St Joseph's is an active Roman Catholic church in the diocese of Liverpool. Also in the parish is the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Waterloo Road. Masses are regularly celebrated in both churches on Saturdays and Sundays. The parish hosts a variety of groups and events.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Birkdale, St Joseph's Church Roman Catholic churches in Merseyside Grade II listed churches in Merseyside 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United Kingdom Gothic Revival church buildings in England Gothic Revival architecture in Merseyside Roman Catholic Diocese of Lancaster Buildings and structures in Southport