NHER 41650 (Building record) - Roman Catholic Parish Church of the Annunciation, Market Place

Site of Roman Catholic church constructed 1939, demolished for rebuilding 2005.
Local story is that the site was levelled to build a grand church but due to the intervention of World War Two only a temporary structure was erected. Newspaper cutting (no details known) shown to E. Rose (NLA) by local resident shows a priest supervising workmen demolishing what looks like a timber framed building on the street frontage. Following removal of church and paving in 2005, site was found to be covered with a raft of mid 20th century bricks, lumps of tarmac etc, above natural, confirming the information given above. The new building impinges on NHER 13287, demolishing the west end of the south wing; the foundations of this were seen as a row of clunch and flint pieces. At the southwest corner of a projection that still stands (TF 9333 3672) a well was uncovered; the shaft of flint rose to 1.10m above ground level and was capped with a dome of 19th or 20th century bricks. The shaft descended 3m below ground, lined with flint, with a patch of post medieval bricks in the southwest quadrant; there is an unlined section below the flint. Date uncertain but probably post medieval. The 1.10m top projection seems to show the depth of soil removed on the church site.
E. Rose (NLA), 7 May 2005.

Late May 2005.
Report of cellar exposed at rear of former street line.
See (S1) in file showing location and details; these are however different to those given to E. Rose (NLA) by the builders, who stated that the reused Barnack stone was in the fill of the cellar and not built into the walls. The two pieces seen were undatable except for medieval. Samples of bricks and pamments seen by E. Rose (NLA) were 19th century.
E. Rose (NLA), 31 May 2005.

Shortly after the Capuchin Franciscans took up residence in 1937 in Greyfriars they purchased two cottages in Friday Market Place, which were situated between the Black Lion Hotel and the School building that is now the Pilgrim Bureau, and set up a chapel dedicated to St Aelred. The friars left in 1948. They soon set to work demolishing the buildings (possibly once a fishmongers and a tailors) and began an appeal called "Marypence". The friars stayeduntil 1948 but the church never got built.

A temporary church was built by the Diocese of Northampton in 1950. This was subject ti all the post-war restrictions on non-domestic or commercial buildings and it was the intention to replace it as soon as possible. The brick faacade of the church was designed by Enid Chadwick. This 'temporary' church was expected to last 10 years. In 1994 a group of parishioners was formed to discuss the replacement of the temporary church and the first plans were drawn up in 1996. Various items from the old church were chosen to be incorporated into the new design.
Information from (S2) which includes photographs of the old 'temporary' church and the new structure.
M. Dennis (NLA), 12 April 2007.