St Thomas More, Bradford-on-Avon
| St Thomas More Roman Catholic Church | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Victorian architecture |
| Town or city | Bradford-on-Avon |
| Country | England |
| Client | Bradford-on-Avon Town Council |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Thomas Fuller |
St Thomas More is a Roman Catholic church in Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire. It is part of the Diocese of Clifton.[1]
Located near the historic Town Bridge, Bradford-on-Avon, and opposite the Swan Hotel (AD. 1500) and the Dandy Lion Pub, the Catholic Church of St. Thomas More is a large and impressive structure.
History and architecture
It was designed as the small town's town hall and incorporated a police department on its first floor and several other municipal services. The structure was designed by the famous Bath architect Thomas Fuller. The building is of Bath stone, featuring Jacobean gables, an oriel window and an octagonal tower with an onion dome. [2]
Fuller left England in 1845 for Antigua and then Canada where he designed the Langevin Block of the Parliament of Canada, among other important commissions.
Although the town was small, the hall represented Bradford-on-Avon's pride in its wool market. The structural complex was put on the market in the 1930s for 3000 pounds and during the war years it hosted several dances and film screenings.
Use as a church
The complex was purchased and the second floor's council chamber was converted into a Catholic church in the 1950s. The expense to operate such a massive complex is offset by having the municipal offices on the first floor converted into retail and utilizing the parking lot in back. A new staircase and elevator was recently constructed at the back of the former council hall, now church, to the worship area so disabled worshippers can access the site from the car park.
References
- ↑ Clifton Diocesan website
- ↑ Bradford-on-Avon website http://www.bradford-on-avon.org/