In 1811, Walter Hill Coyney of Weston Coyney and his Roman Catholic wife arranged for a group of Benedictine nuns from Ghent to settle in Caverswall Castle, where they opened a chapel for public services.[3][4]
A small church in Longton dedicated to St Gregory was opened in 1819 by Walter Hill Coyney; it was a brick building in Gothic style, between Gregory Street and Griffin Street, and was initially served from Caverswall and Cresswell. From 1822 there was a resident priest.[3]
In 1868–1869, a church designed by E. W. Pugin was built in Heathcote Road. It was a tall brick building in Gothic style, with aisles and a clerestory; a presbytery was added in 1880. The earlier church became the parish hall.[3]
Because of structural problems caused by mining subsidence, Pugin's church was demolished in 1968. It was replaced by a building designed by Frederick King, of Wood, Goldstraw and Yorath, erected on a concrete raft foundation in 1968–1970.[2]
Description
There is a rounded entrance-front facing south-east, consisting of five recessed bays of concrete with narrow windows, below which, under a canopy, are three double doors reached by four steps. It leads into a wide narthex, which curves around the south-east front.[2]
The main body of the church is a double-height semi-circular structure with a flat roof. Adjoining this are a presbytery, of two storeys, and single-storey blocks, all with flat roofs.[2]
Inside, there is a fan-shaped nave, with timber pews following the curve of the space to face the sanctuary. Above the sanctuary, which is on an oblong round-ended platform, is a roof lantern of similar shape. The ribs of the roof structure radiate from the lantern.[2]
