Church in Richmond , England From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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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 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
 | |
| 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 |
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]
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]
