Parson Cross: St Cecilia
Overview
Grid reference: SK 339 925
The church of St Cecilia is an unusual and large 1930s church, of local sandstone in a rather stern neo-Tudor style and with a short west tower, set in the middle of triangular Chaucer’s Close lined with contemporary and later houses. It was built in 1938 to serve the expanding suburb on farmland (the name Parson Cross is not ancient), and was designed by Kenneth Mackenzie of Bilbury, Gloucestershire. An interesting example of the Modernist take on the late 16th-century style which persisted well into the 1950s.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
West tower with baptistery beneath clasped by entrance lobbies, 7-bay nave with narrow aisles and shallow gabled transepts, 3-bay chancel and narrower projecting sanctuary, large crypt with chapel and rooms.
Dimensions:
Nave 35m (120ft) x 8m (25ft), chancel 8m (25ft) long.
Description of Archaeology and History
The church of St Cecilia was built in 1938 to serve the expanding suburb on farmland (the name Parson Cross is not ancient), and was designed by Kenneth Mackenzie of Bilbury, Gloucestershire. This may be the only church he designed, although he worked on a number of churches nearer to home, but he is best known for his work on new housing estates in the pre-and post-War years, to general acclaim.
It was commissioned by the Canon Fathers who worked with the working class communities here. They no longer have any connection with the building, but this explains the cloister-like quality of the garden. The church is unusual but in some respects typical of Sheffield, where a number of interesting churches were built at this time, expressing the self-confidence of the growing city at this time. A church hall was built adjacent in the 1980s, which is now rented out for community activities.
The crypt was developed in 2000 as a Millennium project for a youth club, dependency drop-in-centre etc, the cost with support from various development grants including Lottery funding.
Exterior Description
An interesting example of the Modernist take on the late 16th-century style which persisted well into the 1950s. The tower of two equal stages faces onto the west side of the square, it has three slit lights to each side of the belfry stage and a crenellated parapet, angle buttresses to lower stage. There is a hooded niche in the west face, the bronze statue of St Cecilia made in the late 1970s by the local artist Barbara Priest was stolen recently, part of the nationwide spate of metal theft. The tower is flanked by entrance lobbies with flat roofs and square framed entrances.
The main body of the church is long, narrow and high. The aisles and chancel have tall rectangular windows with the spiky angular neo-Perpendicular tracery typical of this period. The clearstorey is a blank strip above the plain parapets of the aisles. Coped gables and turrets at the corners, finial crosses.
Building Fabric and Features
Tower (component)
20th century west tower
Baptistery
20th century beneath tower
Nave
20th century 7-bay nave
Aisle
20th century narrow aisles
Transept
20th century shallow gabled transepts
Chancel
20th century 3-bay
Sanctuary
20th century narrower projecting sanctuary
Crypt
20th century large crypt with chapel and rooms
Building Materials
Stone
20th century local stone
Timber
20th century roof joists
Tile
20th century Hardrow tiles
Interior
Interior Description
The Anglo-Catholic churchmanship is immediately apparent on entry, with a rood suspended from the chancel arch and a Big Six on the elaborate reredos. The whitewashed interior is simple but impressive, and offers huge space under the high and wide nave roof. Slim tall piers define narrow aisles, the usual ambulatories of the period, transverse arches highlighting this function. Plain pointed arcades and chancel arches, receding to the sanctuary, an attractive and clever visual effect. Woodblock floors, canted tunnel vault ceiling with arch-braces down to corbels.
There are mostly open-backed chairs but also some benches brought from other redundant churches, indeed there appears to have been a rather magpie approach to such, the reredos also being an example, the organ another. The organ console is set at the west end in the south aisle.
Stairs lead from the north side of the chancel arch to the crypt, where there is a Lady Chapel with a vaulted ceiling, a fine space with attractive modern fittings. Also several rooms converted for use for the community centre.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
20th century table with turned legs in Romanesque style
Reredos
20th century tall triptych elaborately carved
Pulpit
20th century wooden ambos
Lectern
20th century brass eagle in crypt
Font (component)
20th century concrete tub font, tall
Plaque (component)
20th century brass plaques
Organ (component)
20th century 2-manual pipe organ 1986
Railing
20th century wooden altar rail
Portable Furnishings and Artworks
Registers from 1938
Churchyard
Grid reference: SK 339 925
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Sources
Submit a change
If you notice something incorrect or missing, please explain it in the form below and submit it to our team for review.