A village’s unique Brutalist church which could soon be demolished is hiding a colourful secret, as photographs inside have shown.
The colourful Kalwall window of the Church of the Good Shepherd | Photo © Immi Corry
Built in Batheaston in 1967, the Church of the Good Shepherd is a rare example of Brutalist architecture in the area, but it closed in March 2020, amid the Covid-19 pandemic and a declining congregation.
Now the Diocese of Clifton wants permission to demolish the church and build four houses on the site.
From the outside, the church is grey and angular, built largely of concrete with the windows made of a translucent material which appears just as grey.
But photographs by Batheaston local Immi Corry show how the window and the church look completely different from the inside.
Rather than use glass for the church window, Bath architect Martin Fisher — who was also behind the design of St Peter and Paul’s in Combe Down — instead chose an aluminium and polycarbonate material designed after the Second World War called Kalwall.
It is believed to be one of the first uses of the material in the UK, which is today distributed by company Strutura as a highly insulating and transparent glazing material.
By using the new material for his church window, Mr Fisher allowed the windows to appear unspectacular from the outside while appearing to the congregation inside as a wall of colour as the light shines through them from across the valley. In front of the windows is a model of the church’s roof.
Instead of a traditional spire, the square roof of the church all slopes up to a “spire” in the south-east corner. It is believed it is meant to reflect a tent pitched by a travelling pilgrim.
Since it was built, the church has been controversial among locals, with some seeing it as an “important historical statement,” but others see it as an “eyesore” and “the village joke”.
The church of the Good Shepherd in Batheaston | Image © Google Street View / Google 2023
Commenting on the plans to demolish the church, David Stuart objected to the homes that would replace it but said: “The church is the village joke. Everyone sees it as a disproportionate and ugly mistake.”
Meanwhile, Amanda McGonigle wrote: “I am speaking as one who would be delighted to see the removal of the current church building — which I find architecturally lacking bar the wonderful stained glass window inside — and as someone who would be glad to see new houses in its place.
“However I am dismayed by the current planning application and wish to register my objection to it.”
The Diocese of Clifton has since revised its plans and proposed homes with a “more traditional ‘cottage’ styling”, although many have said this still does not address their concerns. Others have called for the Brutalist church to be kept.
Jacqueline Wilkin said: “This would be known as the “sack of Batheaston” if demolition is granted, an iconic building loved by many and disliked by some too.
“I object to this beautiful building being demolished — can’t it be adapted to provide unique accommodation for perhaps two dwellings?”
Simon Rumble added: “The existing building, whilst quirky, still has significant ‘Brutalist’ architectural value. We live in a city that champions its heritage status, so why be so selective when it comes to architecture of heritage, we may one day look back and regret the loss of a design of a particular era.”
Local councillor Sarah Warren (Bathavon North, Liberal Democrat) called for the decision on whether to grant planning permission for the scheme to be made in public by Bath & North East Somerset Council’s planning committee.
Meanwhile, the council’s conservation expert has said the value of the building had been “underplayed” by the applicants and it should be locally listed.
Unlike when a building is listed by Historic England, local listing does not come with planning controls to protect buildings. But it will be a “material consideration” in deciding the planning application.
In the Diocese of Clifton’s heritage statement submitted with their planning application, it stated: “It is a good example of mid-20th Century buildings of this type, although to those who are unaware of the conversations around church design at this time, they may question whether it is a good example of contextual design, particularly in an area of the village which has little to no examples of mid 20th Century design.”
It added that it was “unashamed” in being different to the rest of the area in terms of its materials and its height.
One objector to the plans, Mr K Evans said: “From the east side the spire can be seen for miles — but it’s [a] church, a beacon of faith, hope, and charity. In the winter, when the building is illuminated from the inside, it creates the effect of a stained glass window lighting the dark months.”
Vatican II
In 1959, Pope John XXIII called a new ecumenical council to modernise the Catholic Church.
The resulting Second Vatican Council — generally called Vatican II — saw major changes made to many aspects of Catholic life in the 1960s, including the layout of churches. The Church of the Good Shepherd was one of the first churches to be built to the new liturgical principles of Vatican II in the Diocese of Clifton.
Three years later, these same principles would guide the design of Clifton Cathedral, which is also built in a Brutalist style and has been Grade II* listed.
