The church building is orientated with the sanctuary to the west and the entrance front facing the road to the east; for this description the former will be referred to as the liturgical east end. The church is constructed of brown brick laid in Flemish bond, with blue brick dressings and a slate roof. The church is raised above a large basement hall, with steep concrete steps to the west doorway; the plan consists of aisled nave, shallow sanctuary and transepts and rectangular west tower. The semi-circular arched west doorway is recessed in a stepped brick surround, with double panelled doors and above, a mosaic tympanum depicting the pelican in her piety. Above the door is a ceramic figure of St Ambrose, and a six-light wheel window. The tower has a blocky profile with semi-circular headed openings to the upper stage. The basement level is faced in blue brick with paired steel windows. The lean-to aisles and transepts have round-headed steel windows, in pairs but the clerestory is blind. The sacristies and confessionals along the north side are flat-roofed.

Inside, the lofty nave has an eight-bay king-post roof with exposed timbers and plain semi-circular headed aisle arcades. The walls are plain plastered above a brick dado and the floor is laid with teak blocks. The spacious re-ordered sanctuary is enclosed with wrought iron parclose screens to north and south. Other 1930s fittings include a pair of carved and gilded wooden statues to the Sacred Heart and Our Lady, the nave pews and in the narthex, wrought-iron grilles and baptistery gates. The low relief Stations of the Cross are from the Tyrol and were set up in February 1939. The post-conciliar forward altar is carved and painted oak, probably by Hayes & Finch. The sacristy has oak fittings.