The architect was William Samuel Weatherley (1851-1922), a former assistant of Sir George Gilbert Scott. He eventually became commercially successful in his own right, designing and restoring churches as well as houses and commercial buildings. His plans for St Stephen's provided a large aisled nave of four bays with a generous clerestory, chancel, south west and north east porches, and a south chapel. An intended tower was never completed - the familiar story of a lack of funds. The foundation stone was laid in 1908 and the church was consecrated in 1912.
The church is built of brown brick with red brick and stone detailing, and has a mix of Perpendicular and Reticulated style tracery in the windows. The wagon roof is in a rich, dark brown wood, which helps to make what could otherwise be a rather barn-like space more intimate. A notable feature is that the nave and chancel are the same height, so that, looking through the chancel arch, the chancel actually appears higher. Weatherley exploited this further by raising the level of the floors successively from the nave to the chancel and sanctuary and the high altar itself, thus drawing the eye to the high altar as a focal point.
The pulpit, rood screen and font cover are all beautifully carved in dark wood to compliment the ceiling, and there is also a jolly brass eagle lectern. World War II air raids took much of the stained glass, though it survives in the Lady Chapel and fragments in the north aisle.
The Church describes itself as progressive Catholic in tradition, and has a busy parish life with a Sunday School, Youth Alive group, and other groups and events through the week.
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