- This page was last modified on 9 August 2025, at 06:41. Suggest an edit.
Church of Our Lady & St Alphege, Bath facts for kids
| Church of Our Lady & St Alphege | |
|---|---|
The church in the background, with the church hall to the fore
|
|
 Church of Our Lady & St Alphege
Location in Somerset
Church of Our Lady & St Alphege
Location in England
|
|
| 51°22′24″N 2°22′35″W / 51.3734°N 2.3763°W | |
| Location | City of Bath, Somerset |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Consecrated | 1954 |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Architect(s) | Giles Gilbert Scott |
| Style | Romanesque |
| Years built | 1927-29 |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | St Oliver Plunkett |
| Diocese | Diocese of Clifton |
| Province | Province of Birmingham |
The Church of Our Lady & St Alphege is a Roman Catholic church in Bath, England. It's in a part of Bath called Oldfield Park. A famous architect named Sir Giles Gilbert Scott designed it. He also designed the huge Liverpool Cathedral. The church was built a long time ago, between 1927 and 1929. Its design is like an old church in Rome, Italy, called Santa Maria in Cosmedin. This style is called an Early Christian basilica. It's considered a very important historical building, known as a Grade II* listed building.
Contents
Discovering the Church of Our Lady & St Alphege
What Does the Church Look Like?
The outside of the church is built in a style called Romanesque. It uses Bath Stone, which is a type of rock found in the area. The church has a special covered walkway with three arches, called a loggia. This walkway has columns with beautiful Byzantine designs.
The red tiles on the roof were brought all the way from a region in Italy called Lombardy. The original plan included a tall bell tower, known as a campanile. However, this tower was never built. People were worried that the ground might not be strong enough to hold such a heavy structure.
Inside the Church: Amazing Carvings
When you go inside, you'll see columns with amazing carvings. These carvings were made by an artist named William Drinkwater Gough. The carvings on the columns on the north side tell stories from the life of the Virgin Mary.
On the south side, the carvings show scenes from the life of St Alphege. He was an important saint. The columns supporting the choir and organ area at the back of the church show people connected to the church. This even includes the architect himself, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott!
Why This Church is Special
Sir Giles Gilbert Scott once said that this church was "one of my favourite works." For a while, not many people knew how special this church was. A famous expert on buildings, Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, didn't even mention it in his book about the area in 1958.
However, in 2010, the church's importance was officially recognized. Its status as a listed building was upgraded to Grade II*. This means it's a very important building designed by a nationally famous architect. Michael Forsyth, another architectural expert, described it as a building that "cannot fail to astonish and delight."