St Oswald, Tile Hill
St Oswald, Tile Hill
St Oswald's is a Grade II parish church of 1954-57 on Jardine Crescent, Tile Hill, Coventry, designed by Basil Spence as one of three suburban churches commissioned with Coventry Cathedral, in the Diocese of Coventry.
- Location
- Tile Hill, West Midlands
- Country
- England
- County
- West Midlands
- City / town
- Tile Hill
- Address
- Jardine Crescent, Tile Hill, West Midlands, CV4 9PL
- Postcode
- CV4 9PL
- Built
- 1954-57
- Consecrated
- 6 June 1957
- Architect
- Basil Spence, with Seppi Stockli and Roger Button; built by Wimpey
- Denomination
- Catholic Church
- Dedication
- Oswald
- Diocese
- Coventry
- Parish
- Tile Hill St Oswald
- Grade
- II
- Style
- Post-war basilican Modern
- Materials
- Concrete portal frame with no-fines concrete and spar-dash render; aluminium roof; reinforced concrete and cedar bell tower
- Grid reference
- SP 287 788
- Opening hours
- Monday to Friday 9.30am to 1pm.
- Access
- Accessible toilets in church. Level access throughout
- Website
- https://www.stoswalds.co.uk/
Overview
Historic England records a church and freestanding bell tower by Basil Spence, with assistance from Seppi Stockli and Roger Button, built by Wimpey between 1954 and 1957. Bishop Gorton paid for three churches from War Damages Commission funds. The fabric is a concrete portal frame with no-fines concrete panels and spar-dash render under a shallow-pitched aluminium roof. The basilican plan measures 90 by 30 feet, with steps to the sanctuary. Windows are clear, vertically ribbed glass; frames were set in shuttering before the concrete was poured. The east gable carries a beaten-copper crucified Christ by Carroll Simms. The west gable has margin glazing and a large timber cross. Inside, thin timber joists run between the portal frames, with dark green filler boards and occasional blue or red panels. Spence designed the choir stalls, organ case, altar, altar rails and a circular wooden font with a copper bowl. A hanging of St Oswald and St Aidan by Gerald Holtom hangs at the east end. Each of the three churches received a foundation stone from the ruined cathedral.
The four-stage bell tower is reinforced concrete with cedarwood screens and enamelled metal plates; it has never housed a bell. ACNY records consecration on 6 June 1957.