All Saints Church, West Dulwich
Encyclopedia
All Saints Church is a Grade I-listed Gothic Revival church in West Dulwich
, South London
. It was built 1888—1897 and designed by George Fellowes Prynne
.
, a pupil of George Edmund Street
.
The building's interior was destroyed by fire on 9 June 2000. There was uncertainty as to whether the church would be restored after the fire, but a campaign to restore the church was completed in April 2006. The western end of the church now has a modern entrance in contrast with the Gothic architecture
of the remainder of the building.
The building is vast in scale even though incomplete. The nave was intended to be three bays longer with an apsidal western baptistry. A flèche
was intended over the chancel arch, flanked by a tall slender tower. Only the base of the flèche exists and the present bell turret by J. B. S. Comper of 1952 is a modest substitute. The west porch is another post-war
addition.
The church is brick built with stone dressings and steep-pitched slated roofs. The aisles have individual double-pitched roofs with deep valley gutters alongside the nave's clerestory. There is a four-bay nave, the west bay being incomplete with no clerestory and what was intended to be a temporary slated gable end. It is flanked by narrow aisles and porches (now used for other purposes). The nave is flanked by the Lady Chapel in the north aisle and All Souls Chapel in the south aisle. The apsidal chancel is enclosed by a narrow ambulatory. To the north the Lady Chapel has its own arcaded chancel with ambulatory. To the south of the chancel the space is occupied by the organ chamber and vestries.
and the Dulwich Symphony Orchestra. Following the restoration a private nursery was installed in the basement.
West Dulwich
West Dulwich is an area in southeast London, England, that straddles the London Borough of Lambeth and the London Borough of Southwark. Croxted Road and South Croxted Road mark the boundary between London Borough of Southwark on the east and London Borough of Lambeth to the west...
, South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
. It was built 1888—1897 and designed by George Fellowes Prynne
George Fellowes Prynne
George Halford Fellowes Prynne was born on 2 April 1853 at Wyndham Square, Plymouth, Devon. He died on 7 May 1927.He was the designer of many parish churches in England, mostly in the southeast and southwest, and almost always on a grand scale of high-church Gothic revival...
.
History
The church is an important example of the work of George Fellowes PrynneGeorge Fellowes Prynne
George Halford Fellowes Prynne was born on 2 April 1853 at Wyndham Square, Plymouth, Devon. He died on 7 May 1927.He was the designer of many parish churches in England, mostly in the southeast and southwest, and almost always on a grand scale of high-church Gothic revival...
, a pupil of George Edmund Street
George Edmund Street
George Edmund Street was an English architect, born at Woodford in Essex.- Life :Street was the third son of Thomas Street, solicitor, by his second wife, Mary Anne Millington. George went to school at Mitcham in about 1830, and later to the Camberwell collegiate school, which he left in 1839...
.
The building's interior was destroyed by fire on 9 June 2000. There was uncertainty as to whether the church would be restored after the fire, but a campaign to restore the church was completed in April 2006. The western end of the church now has a modern entrance in contrast with the Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
of the remainder of the building.
Architecture
The site slopes dramatically down from Lovelace Road to Rosendale Road. The east end of the church is lofty and the whole church, with the exception of the incomplete west bay, is situated over crypt spaces, which are extensively used by the wider community. The northeast corner of the building has four storeys of accommodation. A enclosed staircase rises to church floor level across the east elevation.The building is vast in scale even though incomplete. The nave was intended to be three bays longer with an apsidal western baptistry. A flèche
Flèche
A flèche is used in French architecture to refer to a spire and in English to refer to a lead-covered timber spire, or spirelet. These are placed on the ridges of church or cathedral roofs and are usually relatively small...
was intended over the chancel arch, flanked by a tall slender tower. Only the base of the flèche exists and the present bell turret by J. B. S. Comper of 1952 is a modest substitute. The west porch is another post-war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
addition.
The church is brick built with stone dressings and steep-pitched slated roofs. The aisles have individual double-pitched roofs with deep valley gutters alongside the nave's clerestory. There is a four-bay nave, the west bay being incomplete with no clerestory and what was intended to be a temporary slated gable end. It is flanked by narrow aisles and porches (now used for other purposes). The nave is flanked by the Lady Chapel in the north aisle and All Souls Chapel in the south aisle. The apsidal chancel is enclosed by a narrow ambulatory. To the north the Lady Chapel has its own arcaded chancel with ambulatory. To the south of the chancel the space is occupied by the organ chamber and vestries.
Other uses
The church serves as home of the Lambeth OrchestraLambeth Orchestra
The Lambeth Orchestra is an amateur orchestra founded in 1972. It gives a regular series of 10 concerts each year at All Saints Church, West Dulwich and St Luke's Church, West Norwood....
and the Dulwich Symphony Orchestra. Following the restoration a private nursery was installed in the basement.