oultonbluke

St Luke, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft

Fitting in with the neighbours: west Lowestoft's politest church.

There can be few less likely settings for a church than that of St Luke. It sits among bungalows and semi's in the 1960s south Lowestoft infill between Kirkley and the ring road. Tucked in among the yellow brick houses is this curious building, behind its polite wall. One almost expects to see a neatly clipped lawn and a Dunsinnin sign hanging on the gate.

The hall church left, and the sanctuary to the right.

It is built in the style of the houses around it; and yet, it is not uninteresting. Dating from 1960, built as a chapel of ease to St Mark and in what Mortlock memorably refers to as 'ranch-style', the construction is actually quite complex, consisting of a variety of bricks and pebbledash, low-pitched and flat roofs.

A dual-purpose hall is partitioned off from the sanctuary, which is lit from several tall side windows as at Ipswich St Luke, a church which this reminds me of. The former part was in use as an old peoples' day centre when I visited, which I thought rather nice.

The one outstanding feature from the road is a tall, wooden cross, that signals the main purpose of this building to its not dissimilar neighbours.

St Luke, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, is located at the west end of Homefield Avenue, near the junction of Pinewood Avenue. I suspect that it is kept locked when not in use.