At first it was thought that the entire enterprise of the new parish church could not be undertaken at once, for want of funds, and it was resolved to proceed by degrees, laying the foundation and building vestry and chancel, with a temporary nave. But the funds shortly realised and promised encouraged the deacon and churchwardens to build the whole of the fabric at once, with the exception of tower and spire. The estimated cost of the work when completed is 35,000l., the tower and spire alone being estimated to cost 10,000l. of the amount. The fine old ring of bells—eight in number—which have quickened and delighted the ears of Kensingtonians for many a long year, will find a place in the new tower and be heard again, and probably their joyous music be listened to by generations to come. The spire, when completed, will be 240 feet from the base to the vane. The estimated cost of the interior fittings, pews, pulpit, screen, and altar is 4,460l. The church will be brilliantly lit with gas, and warmed with hot water on the most improved principle. The length of the interior is 155 feet, and its greatest breadth 100 feet, and is capable of accommodating 1,600 persons on one floor. There will be no galleries. The style of the building is Gothic, a specimen of the transitional period from the early English to the decorated, and the architect is Mr. Gilbert Scott R.A., of Spring-gardens; the contractors Messrs. Dove Brothers, of Islington; and the grotesque and other carving with which the church is ornamented is executed by Messrs. Farmer and Brindly. The external material of the building is Kentish rag, with selected Bath-stone dressings. From what can be seen of the work in progress, the ample Bath-stone turrets and mouldings will add much to the effect of the building. In the interior there is no plaster, but the whole of the church is faced with solid Bath ashlar. There are on plan, nave, side aisles, and transepts. The nave will be 107 ft. and the chancel 48 ft. long, and 27 ft. wide; the aisles are 14 ft. 6 in. wide. There are also chancel aisles, and on the north side of the chancel an organ chamber, and the tower—the tower space being occupied with a vestry, from which the clergy will pass to the chancel by a vestibule. The font is on the north side of the west door; it is intended to be a very handsome marble one, with a conical cover, the cost being 400l. Several ladies in Kensington are exerting themselves to raise funds for this particular work. The principal entrance to the church is on the west side, and the door has a sumptuous carving in Bath stone over it. The next principal entrance will be on the south side, through a porch, and another on the north side. A scheme is projected by the ladies of the congregation, and a plan is now preparing by Messrs. Clayton and Bell, to fill the whole church with painted windows. Should this be accomplished, and the eminent firm mentioned be employed to carry it out, it will doubtless add vastly to the effect of the interior.
It is hoped and expected by the Vicar that the church will be opened by Easter next (1872). A very fine organ is now being built for this handsome fabric, by Messrs. Hill and Son, of the Euston-road, at a cost of about 1,200l., to be provided by a separate fund. This instrument has three manuals and a pedal organ. Great Organ—containing double open diapason and bourdon, 16 feet; open diapason, 8 feet; ditto, No. 2, 8 feet; gamba, 8 feet; stopped diapason, 8 feet; principal, 4 feet; harmonic flute, 4 feet; 12th, 3 feet; 15th, 2 feet; mixture, 4 ranks; Posaund, 8 feet; clarion, 4 feet. Choir Organ—open diapason, 8 feet; dulciana, 8 feet; Gedact, 8 feet; Gamshorn, 4 feet; Wald flute, 4 feet; flautina, 2 feet; clarionet, 8 feet. Swell Organ—Bourdon, 16 feet; open diapason, 8 feet; salcional, 8 feet; stopped diapason, 8 feet; principal, 4 feet; Suabe flute, 4 feet; 12th, 3 feet: 15th, 2 feet; mixture, 3 ranks; horn, 8 feet; oboe, 8 feet; clarion, 4 feet. Pedal Organ—CCC to F, 30 notes; sub-Bourdon, 32 feet; open diapason, 16 feet; violone, 15 feet; Bourdon, 16 feet; principal, 8 feet; 15th, 4 ft.; trombone, 16 ft.; 5 couplers. Up to the present time about 24,000l. has been received and promised to the Building Fund, to which Her Majesty the Queen subscribes 200l. It will be seen, therefore, that a large proportion of the money has yet to be raised, although no doubt is felt that public spirit will display itself in connection with this great public object, so as to relieve the promoters of all anxiety as to the speedy and successful termination of their work. Archdeacon Sinclair is the treasurer of the fund, and the Rev. W. Wright, of 2, Bath-place, the secretary. The present churchwardens are Charles Greenway, Esq., of 3, Bath-place, who has filled the office for sixteen years, and Robert Harvey, Esq., of 92, High-street, Notting-hill, who has been in office for two years. Attached to the parish church there are national schools, with 200 boys and 130 girls; an infant school with 200; and a ragged-school in Jennings’-buildings—a notoriously low part of the town—with 60 or 70. There is also an industrial school for young girls, where 35 or 40 are taught various useful domestic works. There are Sunday-schools answering to the day-schools; also a district visiting society, composed of ladies and clergymen who visit the poor and distribute alms; and annual collections are made for missionary and other religious and charitable purposes.
The venerable Archdeacon Sinclair has been Vicar for the last twenty-nine years, and was appointed Archdeacon soon after his accession to the Vicarage. It is known to be a wealthy living, but its exact value cannot be precisely stated. The net value, however, is estimated at 912l. per annum. The Vicar is well known and admired both for the elevation of his personal character and his able and truly Evangelical ministry. He is now well stricken in years—being seventy-four years of age—but retains a notable degree vigour, and preaches regularly twice every Sunday, at present to the congregation of St. Paul’s, Palace-gardens, one of the chapels of ease to the parish church. Christ Church, Victoria-road, is the other. Associated with the Vicar in the spiritual work of the parish are at present four curates, the Rev. W. Wright, M.A., the Rev. E. T. Carey, M.A., the Rev. G. Averill, M.A., and the Rev. J. J. T. Wilmot, M.A.
The principal congregation of the old church are, during the re-building, worshipping in the vestry-hall adjoining. Here we had the pleasure of uniting with them on the morning of Sunday, Oct. 15, 1871. The service is a reflection of what it was in the old temple, and what, under the venerable vicar, it is intended to be in the new. It was plain devout Church of England service, earnest and as inspiring as it could be in a plain hall. The officiating clergyman was the Rev. J. J. T. Wilmot, M.A., who took the whole of the service and preached the sermon. The latter was a faithful exposition and application of 1 Tim. i. 16—“Godliness with contentment is great gain.” Some very pointed remarks on the evils of the lust of riches, and the value of the gain of godliness, were delivered in a clear and sonorous voice, and pointed with familiar illustrations. The impression on our minds was that such a method of conducting worship, and such a style of pulpit or platform discourse, cannot but be the means of doing great good.
(See Notes.)
ST. ANDREW AND ST. PHILIP’S CHURCH, GOLBORNE ROAD, UPPER WESTBOURNE PARK.
This church is a recent instance of the modern forward movement to overtake the spreading population of the suburbs. It is situated at the extreme north of the parish, in the midst of a vast mass of new property, which is very properly called New-town, or Kensal New-town. The parish, which was formed out of the extensive one of All Saints’, Notting-hill, has a population of 9,000; and up to the present has been very ill-provided with means of religious worship. Indeed, it seems as if no effort can be abreast of the fast-growing needs of the metropolis. But here is, at least, a large and handsome church situate in a locality in which primâ facie it would appear a very God-send. Alighting at the Westbourne-park Station, and passing over the bridge, a sign-board directs the inquirer along the main Newtown-street, and after four or five minutes’ walk another board points out the site of the church. Or an equally ready way of access may now be found from the Notting-hill Station, by the Ladbroke and recently-opened Golborne-road. This edifice is the fruit of private and public zeal combined. A Christian lady in Bayswater devoted 5,000l. of her abundance, and the Bishop of London’s Fund, together with some local donations, supplied the remainder of 7,000l., which was the cost of the building. It is therefore unencumbered with debt, and has a free and open course before it for Christian usefulness. The ceremony of consecration took place on Saturday, the 8th of January, 1870, when our reporter in attendance wrote that, “Notwithstanding the furious gale over the parish, upwards of 700 ladies and gentlemen were present.” The then new Bishop of London (Dr. Jackson) officiated, and was assisted in the service by the Venerable Archdeacon Sinclair, Vicar of St. Mary Abbotts, Kensington; the Rev. A. G. Pemberton, of Kensal-green; the Rev. A. Campe; and the Rev. R. Towers, the incumbent. A number of other clergymen were also present, amongst whom were the Rev. R. W. Forest, the Rev. Daniel Moore, the Rev. Bryan Hodge, the Rev. W. A. Newton, the Rev. W. A. Bathurst, &c.
The building is of red brick with Bath-stone mouldings, covered with the best Welsh slates, and surrounded on all sides with a strong iron railing. In the exterior there is no other particular feature, except a prettily-shaped belfry, which is an ornament to the east front. The interior does credit to the architect, Mr. Keeling, of Gray’s-inn; who, forbidden the versatility of device he has displayed in St. Mark’s, Notting-hill, St. George’s, Campden-hill, and elsewhere, has given a free adaptation of early French Gothic. There are a nave and aisles, separated on either side by five handsome columns of Devonshire marble, with carved-stone capitals, and supporting an entablature of six arches on each side, from which a lofty groined roof spans the nave. The arches are of variegated brick, with Bath-stone dressings; and the higher part of the side walls in the same, the lower part being faced with Bath-stone ashlar. The choir and chancel are ample in dimensions, the former being furnished with high cathedral-backed stalls, and the former ornamented with neatly-illuminated texts, the Ten commandments, &c., and over the communion-table the words—which it may be hoped, will be a faithful index to the ministry ever to be exercised in the church, “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to him that believeth.” The organ is a borrowed instrument of very inferior quality, and which is shortly to be supplanted by one more adapted to the beautiful and spacious edifice. Towards this most desirable improvement 40l. only has yet been raised, towards 250l., the estimated cost. As the congregation and immediate neighbourhood are mainly poor, it would be a real boon if some wealthier person or persons beyond the district could devise the means to present to the church a suitable instrument. The church is admirably adapted for the free passage both of light and sound, and the plain but variously-stained windows, without Scripture or canonical characters, add to the beautiful effect of the whole structure. There are no galleries; but the ground floor, well laid out with substantial open pews, supplies accommodation for 950, but is capable of taking 1,000 without overcrowding. We regretted to observe that the congregation present at the morning service were not anything like half the number. The audience in the evening, however, is said to be much larger, a feature very characteristic of poor localities, where many week-day working people are seldom prepared for church before evening on the Sabbath. The place is well warmed by a large stove, which sent a comforting glow of heat through the entire space; and is lit at night from ornamental pillars, each having four branches, and each branch three jets, specially designed by Messrs. Johnson Brothers, of High Holborn. The floors of the aisles, choir, and chancel are inlaid with tessellated tiles.