---
title: "St Monica, Bootle"
description: "Located in Bootle, Merseyside. Built 1935–36. Diocese of Liverpool. Grade I. Modernist Brick Expressionist style."
category: "Church"
tags: ["Church","Catholic Church","Merseyside","Bootle","Grade I","Modernist","Francis Xavier Velarde"]
canonical: "https://thebritishgazette.com/post/st-monica-bootle"
pubDate: "2026-09-06T01:20:42.655Z"
dateModified: "2026-09-09T12:30:30.434Z"
location: "Bootle, Merseyside"
country: "England"
county: "Merseyside"
town: "Bootle"
address: "Fernhill Road, Bootle, Merseyside, L20 9GA"
postcode: "L20 9GA"
built: "1935–36"
consecrated: "4 October 1936"
architect: "Francis Xavier Velarde; sculptures by Herbert Tyson Smith"
denomination: "Catholic Church"
dedications: ["Monica"]
diocese: "Liverpool"
grade: "I"
style: "Modernist Brick Expressionist"
materials: "Pale buff brick with painted-concrete dressings; green pantile roof"
openingHours: "Please contact us for details of opening times."
parish: "St Monica"
listEntryUrl: "https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1283647"
accessNotes: "Level access to the main areas. Accessible toilets nearby"
---

# St Monica, Bootle

St Monica’s is a Grade I Roman Catholic church on Fernhill Road, Bootle, Merseyside, in the Archdiocese of Liverpool, designed by Francis Xavier Velarde and opened in 1936.

## Overview

Historic England and Taking Stock record a church of 1935–36 by Velarde, built by L. H. and R. Roberts. Archbishop Richard Downey laid the foundation stone in 1935 and opened and blessed the church on 4 October 1936. The listing describes pale buff brick with painted-concrete dressings and a green pantile roof, in a Modernist manner influenced by the German brick Expressionist churches of Dominikus Bohm. Pevsner called it an epoch-making church for England.

A mission began in 1922 at Breeze Hill; a temporary church stood at Fernhill from 1923 until the early 1950s. The permanent church has a massive west tower with three bowed-head angel sculptures by Herbert Tyson Smith. The interior is largely bare brick, with a more decorative sanctuary, chrome altar rails and other fittings designed by Velarde. The sanctuary was re-ordered in the 1980s.

## Further Information

- [Historic England list entry 1283647](https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1283647)
- [Taking Stock: Bootle – St Monica](https://taking-stock.org.uk/building/bootle-st-monica/)
- [British Listed Buildings: Roman Catholic Church of St Monica](https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101283647-roman-catholic-church-of-st-monica-derby-ward)