All Saints' Church, Petersham, London
All Saints' Church, Petersham, in Bute Avenue, Petersham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, is a Grade II listed[3] former church which is now used as a private residence.
| former All Saints' Church, Petersham | |
|---|---|
| 51°26′37″N 0°18′00″W / 51.4436°N 0.3001°W | |
| OS grid reference | TQ 183 730 |
| Location | Bute Avenue, Petersham, Richmond TW10 7AX (London Borough of Richmond upon Thames) |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Status | ceased to be used as a church in 1986 |
| Founded | 1899 |
| Founder(s) | Rachael Laetitia Ward[1] |
| Dedicated | 1909 |
| Consecrated | never consecrated |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | now a private residence |
| Architect(s) | John Kelly[2] |
| Architectural type | Romanesque Revival[1] |
| Completed | 1909 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Southwark |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Church of All Saints, Bute Avenue |
| Designated | 25 June 1983 |
| Reference no. | 1065334 |
History edit
Designed by Leeds architect John Kelly, the church was commissioned in 1899 by Rachel Laetitia Warde (née Walker) (1841–1906) to accommodate the expected suburban expansion of Petersham[4] and, using funds from his estate, as a memorial to her father, Samuel Walker (1812–1898) who had died the previous year. She also commissioned an accompanying church hall and institute as a memorial to her aunt Ellen.[5] The frieze above the hall's front entrance has the inscription "AD 1900. Ellen Walker Thy Kingdom Come. Memorial Church Room".[5][6]
However, Mrs Warde died three years before the project was finished and it was completed by her son Lionel[1] (1876–1963). The church's foundation stone was laid in November 1901[7] and the church was dedicated by the Bishop of Kingston, Cecil Hook, in April 1909.[8]
The church, and the church hall and institute[2] (which is also Grade II listed),[6] were erected in the grounds of Bute House (previously the residence of British Prime Minister John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute,[9] and which was demolished in 1908).
The church was never consecrated as the anticipated growth in Petersham's population did not take place.[4] However, it was used occasionally by the parish and also by the Greek Orthodox Church.[4] It continued to be used for weddings until 1981 but ceased to be used as a church in 1986.[10]
During the Second World War it was requisitioned and used as a radar and anti-aircraft command post.[11][12][13] It was also used as a recording studio[14] and as a location for filming.[1] In January 1976 Luciano Pavarotti recorded his best-selling O Holy Night album (reissued as a CD in 1990) in the church.[15] Other recordings made at the church include an album of songs by Alexander Borodin and Alexander Dargomizhsky, performed by Sergei Leiferkus, Semion Skigin and Leonid Gorokhov,[16] and recordings by John McCabe[17] and by Christopher Hogwood and the Academy of Ancient Music.[18] Other artists who have recorded there include Vladimir Ashkenazy, Dimitri Ashkenazy, and Vovka Ashkenazy.
The Anglican Diocese of Southwark sold the church building in about 1996.[10] It is now a private residence, known as All Saints House, and has been converted to include an indoor swimming pool, jacuzzi and steam room.[1]
The church hall was used as Petersham's village hall until the early 21st century.[19]
Architecture edit
The church was built in red brick and terracotta[2] in the style of a basilica.[1] The campanile (bell tower) is 118 feet high,[1] with a pyramidal roof crowned by a figure of Christ overlooking Richmond Park. Bridget Cherry and Nikolaus Pevsner described the architectural style as "[e]mphatically Italian Early Christian or Romanesque", the interior as "lavish" and the baptistery as "quite exceptional".[2] The nave had a grey and white marble central aisle taken from Tournai Cathedral in Belgium.[1] To the north was an octagonal baptistery including a tank for total immersion. The altar, which was raised to a considerable height above the floor of the nave, had a tall reredos and rood.[9]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Local Studies Volunteer Support Group (2013). The Building of a Borough. London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. pp. 18–20.
- ^ a b c d Cherry, Bridget & Pevsner, Nikolaus (1983). The Buildings of England – London 2: South. London: Penguin Books. p. 514. ISBN 0-14-0710-47-7.
- ^ Historic England (25 June 1983). "Church of All Saints, Bute Avenue (1080834)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
- ^ a b c Gascoigne, Bamber & Blomfield, David. "Ham and Petersham – All Saints' Church". HistoryWorld. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
- ^ a b Lee, J M (2007). "Petersham at War". Richmond History: Journal of the Richmond Local History Society. 28: 8–14. ISSN 0263-0958.
- ^ a b Historic England (25 June 1983). "Petersham Church Room (1080835)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
- ^ "Memorial Church at Petersham". The Morning Post. 9 November 1901. p. 3.
- ^ "Ecclesiastical Intelligence". Evening Mail. 14 April 1909. p. 4.
- ^ a b Malden, H E, ed. (1911). "Parishes: Petersham', in A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 3". British History Online. pp. 525–532. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
- ^ a b "Petersham, All Saints" (PDF). Former places of worship in the Diocese of Southwark. Anglican Diocese of Southwark. July 2007. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
- ^ Lee, J M (2024). Petersham: radar and operational research 1940–1946 (2nd ed.). Richmond Local History Society. ISBN 978-1-912314-04-1.
- ^ "Second World War". Petersham Village. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
- ^ "What role did Petersham's All Saints church play in World War Two?". Richmond History: Journal of the Richmond Local History Society. 28. 2007. ISSN 0263-0958. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
- ^ "Obituary: Keith Grant". The Daily Telegraph. 12 September 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
- ^ "O Holy Night / Luciano Pavarotti". ArkivMusic. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
- ^ "Songs Of Borodin & Dargomizhsky". ArkivMusic. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
- ^ "Haydn* – John McCabe (2) – The Haydn Piano Sonatas Volume 1". Discogs. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
- ^ "Christopher Hogwood: Recordings". Christopher Hogwood. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
- ^ "About the Village Hall". Petersham Village. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
Further reading edit
- Chave, Leonard; Lee, J M (2011). Ham and Petersham in Wartime. Richmond Local History Society. pp. 3, 11, 15–21, 30, 49, 53, 69. ISBN 978-0-9550717-6-8. 74 pages.
- Hughes, Gillian (1986). "All Saints' Church, Petersham, in wartime". Richmond History: Journal of the Richmond Local History Society. 7: 41–43. ISSN 0263-0958.
- Lee, J M (2007). "Petersham at War". Richmond History: Journal of the Richmond Local History Society. 28: 8–14. ISSN 0263-0958.
- Lee, J M (2024). Petersham: Radar and Operational Research 1940–1946 (2nd ed.). Richmond Local History Society. ISBN 978-1-912314-04-1. 50 pages.