On the west side of the house the National Society added a quadrangle, built in the Italian style, and in the grounds, near the chapel, an octagon building as a Practising School, for teaching children who reside in the locality. The grounds of the College consist of eleven acres of garden and grass land.
The Upper School gives a superior education to 160 boys, who are instructed in all the usual branches of an English education, and also in Latin and French.
The Middle School gives a similar education, with the exception of Latin and French, to 180 boys.
The Lower School is intended for the sons of the humbler classes, and gives sound instruction in elementary subjects to 200 boys.
There is accommodation in the College for 100 Students, who are being trained here for Schoolmasters.
The Chapel stands close to the Fulham Road, and is open to the public twice every day, at 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. On Sundays the Services begin at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. The seats are free, and the expenses are defrayed by voluntary contributions. There is no endowment of any kind. The exterior of the building is unpretending. The interior has a distinctive character given to it by the windows of stained glass, which produce an impression of warmth and beauty. There is an excellent organ and a full choir, composed of the Students and a certain number of boys from the schools. The Services are all choral, and on Sundays are usually well attended. On the anniversary of the College foundation, St. Mark’s Day, April 25, a sermon is preached and a collection made on behalf of the Chapel Funds, and the surrounding gentry and clergy, together with the former Students, are invited to a banquet. At the last Anniversary Festival the sermon was preached by the Dean of St. Paul’s, the text being selected from Luke iv. 16. In the evening, in the Lecture Hall of the College, selections from an Oratorio and other pieces were admirably rendered by the Students, under the direction of the Rev. T. Helmore, precentor, and John Hullah, Esq., to a crowded and most fashionable audience, and many of the old Students of the College. We must also mention E. C. May, Esq., to whom much of the proficiency of the choir may be justly attributed.
We will pass by Mr. Veitch’s Royal Exotic Nursery, and the extensive Show Establishment belonging to Messrs. Weeks & Co., both of which will probably be noticed in a subsequent part of this work, when a more general notice will be taken of the entire King’s Road, and merely observe that a great number of villas, and many superior dwelling houses, have been erected within the last few years in this immediate locality. As examples of such instances it is only necessary to mention the splendid house built by John Weeks, Esq., in Edith Grove, and those in Gunter Grove, Maude Grove, &c., in addition to which many more well-built houses are now being erected in the neighbourhood.
WEST BROMPTON CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
This structure is worthy of special notice. It stands on a valuable freehold site, and was erected in 1866, at a cost of between £5000 and £6000, exclusive of the site. It has sittings for 1100, and owes its existence to the exertions of the present pastor, the Rev. C. Winter, who had previously preached for some time in a small chapel in Gunter Grove. The style adopted is Gothic, of the geometric decorative period. The building is faced with Kentish ragstone, and all the dressings are of Boxhill buttstone. The design consists of three central door-ways, with a large five-light traceried window over, and traceried side light; separate entrances to the staircases with panelled parapets and side roofs over; the sides and chancel end of the building are of brick; the windows in two tiers with stone dressings; the upper tier consists of circular traceried windows, and the whole design is such as to produce a very pleasing effect, which will be much increased when the tower and spire are carried up as intended. The building is entered in front by the doors before mentioned, and a spacious vestibule leads through inner lobbies to the body of the church, which occupies an area of 70 ft. by 50 ft., but including chancel and entrance lobbies its length is 106 ft. The building is surrounded on three sides with spacious galleries, supported by iron columns, handsomely decorated, running up to and supporting the roof. The ceiling is divided into bays by wood spandril arches springing from column to column, and from the columns to the walls. The chancel arch is a very effective piece of coloured brickwork, and the chancel recess is arranged with its windows and angular plan so as to add much to the general effect, which is considerably increased by a very handsome memorial window, the gift of the family of Mr. Pitts, one of the deacons of the church. The building is lighted by star-lights of an improved design suspended from the roof. The pulpit, which is spacious and handsome, is of Caen stone and stands on a platform, around which the seats are arranged concentrically, a great improvement on the ordinary rectangular pewing. The larger room under the chancel is devoted to a variety of useful purposes, such as Infant School, Sunday Schools, Day School, &c. The chapel in Gunter Grove has been converted into a Public Hall, and ultimately no doubt will prove of general use to the neighbourhood. The Sunday Schools, one of which is held at the Hall, number about 300 children.