Sacred Heart Church, Tunstall

Church of the Sacred Heart
The east end of the church
53°03′31.73″N2°12′13.49″W / 53.0588139°N 2.2037472°W / 53.0588139; -2.2037472
OS grid reference	SJ 86442 51304
Location	Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent
Country	England
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	www.birminghamdiocese.org.uk/sacred-heart-tunstall
Architecture
Heritage designation	Grade II listed
Designated	15 March 1993
Architect(s)	John Sydney Brocklesby P. J. Ryan
Completed	1930
Administration
Diocese	Archdiocese of Birmingham

Sacred Heart Church is a Roman Catholic church in Queen's Avenue in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, England, and in the Archdiocese of Birmingham. ^[1] The building, completed in 1930, is Grade II listed. ^[2]

History

A building containing a school and a chapel was built in 1853 in Plex Street, Tunstall, and had a resident priest from 1854. A new church, dedicated to St Mary, and presbytery were built in 1869 in Sun Street (now St Aidan's Street). St Mary's was in use until the opening in 1930 of the Church of the Sacred Heart in Queen's Avenue. The Sun Street building remained as a Sunday school until it was sold in 1934. ^[3]

The foundation stone was laid by Bishop Thomas Shine in 1925. The church was originally by John Sydney Brocklesby, the architect of St Joseph's Church, Burslem; ^[4] P. J. Ryan, the parish priest from 1903 to 1951, initially clerk of works for this building, completed the design. ^{[2] [3] [5]} It was opened by Archbishop Richard Downey in 1930. ^[6]

Description

The west door

The building, of Derbyshire stone, is in Romanesque style. It has a tower in the north-west, and a campanile, and it is roofed with a series of three copper domes. The west door has a large arch with chevron mouldings. ^{[2] [3]}

Interior

There is a nave and clerestory, two aisles, and an apsidal chancel with an ambulatory. The main altar, and altars in side chapels in the north aisle, are of marble, decorated with inlay and mosaic. ^{[2] [3]}

The stained glass, bench-carvings and some ironwork were created by young parishioners under the guidance of Gordon Forsyth, director of the Burslem School of Art. There are furnishings bought abroad by Fr. Ryan. ^{[2] [3] [6]}

References

1. "Sacred Heart, Tunstall" Archdiocese of Birmingham. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
2. Historic England. "Roman Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart, and attached railings (1221068)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 1 August 2025.
3. 'The city of Stoke-on-Trent: Roman Catholicism ', in A History of the County of Stafford: Volume 8, ed. J G Jenkins (London, 1963) British History Online. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
4. Historic England. "Roman Catholic Church of St Joseph, Front Walls and Steps (1297960)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
5. Mervyn Edwards."Was Tunstall's Church of the Sacred Heart eager to impress?" The Sentinel , 22 April 2018.
6. "Sacred Heart" National Churches Trust. Retrieved 2 August 2025.