Heaton Road, Church of St. Gabriel

Parish church. 1899 by F. W. Rich; south transept and chapel 1931 by H.L. Hicks.
Snecked sandstone with ashlar plinth and dressings; roofs of graduated Lakeland
slate with overlapping stone gable copings. Cruciform with aisled nave, north and
south porches, north-east tower and porch. Free Gothic style. Moulded and shafted
2-centred arch in south porch flanked by buttresses under steep gable. Paired
lancets to aisle, 4-light Perpendicular- style clerestory windows. 4-light
windows in transept gables and large Decorated west and east windows. Battlemented
north porches. Tower of 3 tall stages has north door, slit windows on second
stage, blind-traceried arcading above and paired 2-light belfry openings.
Frieze with Gothic lettering and corbel table support pierced battlements.
Octagonal corner turrets to west end. Cross finials. Interior: painted plaster
above boarded dado; ashlar dressings; hammer-beam roof, on pilasters and shafted
corbels. 3-bay arcades have nearly-round 2-centred arches on columns with vine-
carved capitals; taller enriched arches to Lady chapel and tower organ loft.
Large carved tryptych reredos with niches and statues. Fresco on east wall.
Rood beam. Alabaster war memorial on north wall has enamel plaques of angels
Michael and Gabriel. North transept has brass memorial to Walter Baston, builder
of the church and church warden, died 1913. Church hall attached to north-east:
similar materials; 1 storey, 4 bays. Stone-mullioned windows under steeply-gabled
dormers breaking eaves. Steeply-pitched roof. LISTED GRADE 2