Church Architecture

The Church represents not only a fine example of post-reformation Catholic architecture, but also illustrates the turning point for the re-acceptance of Catholicism in England. By the beginning of the 21st Century, the Catholic community of the Sacred Heart was closely linked to their sisters and brothers of all denominations in Southwold.

The design of the Church echoes the late Gothic style of Solesmes Abbey, which the architect visited in 1912. Whilst Williamson’s usual style was based upon Romanesque, it is likely that in this case he sought to reflect both the architecture of the Parish Church of St Edmund and perhaps also illustrate a continuity through the style’s association with the Tudor period. The design is simple and, in some ways, austere: Gothic shorn of its decoration, with an interior that creates a simple devotional space without intrusive distraction. Overall its presence is striking.