The Catholic Church of St Joseph, Sladebrook Road, Southdown, Bath, is in the parish of Our Lady and St Alphege .
St Joseph's celebrated the Ruby Jubilee of the current building in 2009, having been opened in November 1969.

THE STORY OF ST JOSEPH'S CHURCH

St Alphege's Parish had been created in 1937 to serve the growing population of Oldfield Park and the south western area of the City of Bath. The new parish church of Our Lady & St Alphege in Oldfield Lane had been built in 1929. After the Second World War large housing estates were constructed on the south western slopes. This expansion resulted in the influx of a large number of Roman Catholic families into the areas of Southdown, Whiteway and Twerton. Many of these families had been re-located to Bath by the MoD.

The Mass had come to Southdown during the Second World War. The Anglican Church Hall of St Barnabas, then at Rush Hill, became the Headquarters of the Home Guard, of which the late Col. Guy Rogers, of Prior Park, was the Commanding Officer. The Home Guard did their training on Sunday mornings so it was difficult for the Catholic men to get to St Alphege’s for Mass. In 1942, the Rev. M. Wright, the Anglican Vicar, allowed the parish priest of St Alphege's, Fr. Joseph Dolan, the use of the Hall for Mass. Those attending Mass there were principally American troops who were staying at St Martin’s Hospital.

In 1945 the parish was able to purchase from the War Department a site in Sladebrook Road which had been occupied by a Search Light Unit during the War. Here the men of the parish re-erected an old prefabricated ex-army hut, just above the site of the current church. This humble building, the original Church of St Joseph, was held in great affection and parishioners today recall attending Mass and catechism classes there and even cleaning it.

Fr Joseph Dolan was assisted by Fr Leonard Duncan (1942-44),and Fr James O’Brien (1944-49). In 1949 Fr Dolan was succeeded as Parish Priest by Fr James J. Kelly who was to serve the Parish until 1962. His assistant curates included Fr John Sullivan (1949-50), Fr William Roche (1950-52), Fr Louis Farrow (1952-58) and Fr Bruno N. Bradley (1958-62).

In 1963 a new Parish Priest was appointed, Fr Francis O’Leary, assisted by Fr William Stonestreet (1962-63), by Fr Bernard Leo Dolan (1963-69) and Fr Patrick W. Evans (1969-70). In 1961 it was estimated that 176 people were attending Mass at St Joseph's, and this figure continued to grow. In 1965 eleven children made their first communion at the church.

St Joseph's Old and New - a small water colour by H.W. Humpage

A NEW CHURCH

Certainly a vibrant Mass centre was emerging in Southdown and it was eventually decided to respond to this obvious pastoral need by erecting a new purpose-built church to seat approximately 250 people. William D. Proctor A.R.I.B.A. of Oatley & Brentnall, Architects, of Bristol was invited to prepare plans for which planning permission was granted in November 1968. The design also included a possible extension to the hall. Construction took place in 1969, the builders being George V. Williams and Sons Ltd, Lower Bristol Road, Bath.

On 20th November 1969, at 7pm in the evening, the Right Reverend Joseph Rudderham, Bishop of Clifton, opened and blessed the ‘New Church in Honour of St Joseph to serve Southdown, Twerton and Whiteway’. Other clergy who assisted at the first Mass were Canon J.J. Kelly, St John’s RC Church, Bath; Father John Carter, St Mary’s Bath; former curates at St Joseph’s, Father Leo Dolan and Father William Stonestreet; and Father Anthony Cotter, from Bristol.Mgr J.C. Buckley, a life-long friend of Father O’Leary, preached the sermon.

The foreman of the works was Mr. Bert Gregory whose co-operation, it was noted, ‘has been magnificent’. The new church was clearly a parish effort a nd the men, women and children of St Joseph’s were thanked for having worked so hard and for having given so much of their time. Others given special mention included the volunteers who plastered the undercroft; the boys in the woodwork class in St Brendan’s who worked the Crosses for the Stations; and finally the Irish Sisters of Charity (from Oldfield Road), ‘to whom the families, the Women’s Guild and the children owe so much’.

Gifts for the church included the carved Medallion of St Joseph the Worker which was presented by Bishop Joseph Rudderham; the pews and lectern which were presented by the Archdeacon of Bristol, the Venerable L.A. Williams on behalf of the Diocese of Bristol; the Canopy or Tester over the altar which was given by the Lee and Emmerson families; the Tabernacle which was the gift of the Mother Superior of the Convent of the Good Shepherd at Marshfield; the Sanctuary Crucifix which was given by Mrs. Bolton in memory of Edward James Bolton; and the Cross of the Risen Christ given by Mr and Mrs Botor. Other generous benefactions included that of Mr and Mrs Matthews who donated £100 and a further £100 given in memory of Edward Johnson by his family. The fine plaque of Our Lady and Child had previously been hung in the Church of Our Lady and St Alphege and was given ‘In Memoriam - Percy Livingstone Parker’.




THE ARCHITECT'S DESCRIPTION

‘The design of the church is a mixture of old and new. Clerestory windows light the central area, but two large steel girders support the roof and make columns unnecessary.

It was considered important to ensure that everyone is near the altar, so the length of the nave was limited to ten rows of pews, some 46 ft. To accommodate 250 people the width was set to 56ft. No-one is more than 50ft from the altar.

At the east end the Sanctuary is 24 ft wide but only 12 ft deep and the altar has been positioned as near as possible to the people. A canopy over the altar stresses its importance and reflects the character of the roof construction. It is hoped that a symbolic dove can be mounted on the front of the canopy.

A small sacristy is located to the south of the Sanctuary and, by reason of the slope of the ground, it was possible to build a hall and toilets below the north side of the church.

Since the budget was limited, every effort has been made to obtain value for money and yet keep maintenance costs low. Time will show, but it is hoped that the design will prove to have sufficient flexibility to enable alterations and extensions economically to be carried out. The contract price was £22,500.’

BRIAN LITTLE'S DESCRIPTION

The respected architectural correspondent of the Bath and Wilts Evening Chronicle for 17th December 1969 wrote the following report. 'Now that the hut chapel has been cleared away from the forecourt of the new Catholic Church of St Joseph at Southdown, Bath, it is easier to appreciate the relationship to its sloping site, and the exterior merits, of the building which has been designed by Mr W.D. Proctor of the Bristol architects Oatley and Brentnall.

Sladebrook Road is lined with small, privately-built houses of various dates and styles, and its steep, straight slope gives a splendid vista right down to the city centre and beyond. Any public building, carefully thought out as is this new church, and combining within itself a worshipping space and a small hall below it, is bound to add distinction to such an area.

The way in which it is poised on a hillside, and its great width in relation to a modest length, have made for a somewhat ungraceful exterior. A vertical feature of some kind would greatly help the building’s external appearance, and I am sorry that the central mullion of the western window has not been carried up, beyond the angle of the gable above it, so as to be prolonged upwards in a cross more widely conspicuous than that which Mr Proctor has included in his window design.

But the new St Joseph’s is in general well set in a spacious site which allows for the eventual enlargement of the church hall; the scene will be much improved when the landscaping, and grassing of the ground below the building has all been carried out.

The interior, both in its design and in its contents, is in many ways more distinguished and interesting than what one sees outside. The central compartment, or nave, of the new church is clerestorey-lit, with a low-pitched upper roof. Tall concrete piers at each corner of the main rectangle are its chief means of support, and the aisles, or side compartments, are not parted from the nave by traditional pillars and arches.

The clerestorey is upheld by sturdy horizontal steel girders. This means that the side compartments, in accordance with modern thinking, contain no “dead ground” that all those present at Mass can see the sanctuary, and that although the congregation is not “gathered round” in a semi circle or half-polygon, no one is too far from the altar not to feel at one with the worship offered there.

Inside, as from outside, the nave feels wide for its length, and the dignified comparatively narrow sanctuary is half-polygonal in shape and is lined with reconstituted Bath stone, which appears elsewhere in the church’s fabric.

The best interior effect is the bold contrast between the royal blue paint on the steel beams and cross rafters, the natural colour of the impregnated soft wood timbers, and the pale sycamore wood used for various doors.

Some of the new furnishings are of good modern design. This applies in particular, to the font, of Bath stone on the plan of a convex-sided triangle, and to the tester over the altar with its silhouette recalling the “winged” headdress of a Vincentian sister.

Some pews, a curiously designed chair in a vaguely early Tudor style, a kneeling desk have been reconditioned and brought over to this new church on the upland outskirts of Bath. Despite their Victorian style they look astonishingly good in this otherwise contemporary interior. ’

FORTY YEARS ON

During 1987 Monsignor Louis Farrow died and was succeeded as Parish Priest by Father William Roche who did much to rejuvenate St Joseph’s. Sister Brigid Gabriel (Margaret McGourty) (1919-2004), a member of La Sainte Union Bath, was Parish Sister for many years and from the 1980s until her death had a particular responsibility for St Joseph’s. She is remembered for her visiting and for organizing many events. Canon Roche also received help from Fr Graham Langford of Combe Down.

In 1998 Canon Michael English was appointed as Parish Priest and served the parish until the summer of 2008 when he retired having celebrating his Golden Jubilee. During his time it was reluctantly agreed to move the main weekly act of worship from Sunday morning to Saturday evening as part of a strategy for the whole Deanery. Father Michael was succeeded as Parish Priest by Fr Richard Barton. During 2009 the electrical wiring was condemned and it was necessary to close the church during the season of Advent for rewiring. During the work a Daylight Signalling Lamp and associated Morse key were discovered under the church - a relic of the old Searchlight Station.

During 2009 St Joseph's have welcomed the congregation of Oldfield Park Methodist Church to share the church as their place of worship during the refurbishment of their new premises The church hall also became the new home of the St Joseph's Snooker Club following the loss of their previous accomodation.

2009 St Joseph's celebrated its the Ruby Jubilee Year. An Open Day was held in the summer with floral displays, historical exhibition, and stalls. In November parishioners, friends and past priests gathered for the Anniversary Mass.

(Thanks to Mike Lewis and other parishioners for providing information for this item and the book. Thanks also to Ray Rickets for use of his cine film on the DVD)

SERVICES TODAY

Nowadays the main service of the week at St Joseph's is the Vigil Mass of Sunday held at 6 pm on Saturday.
There is also normally a Noon Mass held on Friday (or another day), but please see the Parish Bulletin for details of this week's services.