The chapel from the south-west. Photographs © S. Fielding.
Grove Gardens Chapel, Richmond upon Thames. This appealling little Grade II listed cemetery chapel was built in c.1875 to the designs of Arthur Blomfield, using "squared hammer dressed Kentish ragstone with Bath stone bands and enrichments" (listing text).
Left: The chapel from the south. Right: Three-quarter view with a glimpse of the north wall, confirming the cruciform plan. Photographs © S. Fielding.
The roof is tiled; it once had a flêche. As the listing text explains, "Stone coping to gables with cavetto mouldings. Cruciform plan. Buttressed gable front with Gothic entrance arch inscribed 'IN THE GARDEN THERE WAS A NEW SEPULCHRE, THERE LAID THEY JESUS.'" The detailing, especially over the west entrance, is distinctive, and includes a wheel window, and knapped flint patterning set into the stone bands between the three lancets beneath it.
Left: The west door with its inscription. Right: Interior, showing wood-trussed roof, looking west. Photographs © L. Pekarova.
Inside, one of the remaining features of the chapel is a tri-partite mural mosaic "in the Venetian style," focussing on the Annunciation (see "Grove Gardens Chapel"). The altar that once stood in front of it has been taken away though. The chapel has not been used for its original purpose since 1964, and was declared redundant over thirty years later, in 1996. Despite an earlier restoration, which enabled it to be used as a childen's nursery, the structure has been severely affected by subsidence. The wonderful Habitats & Heritage organisation is now planning to stabilise it by underpinning the walls. The aim is to conserve this attractive work by an important architect as a space for community activities (see the website below for upcoming events!).
Photographs taken by S. Fielding (2022) and L. Pekarova (2017) kindly supplied by Caitlin Jones, Heritage Projects Officer for Habitats & Heritage, based in southwest London. Text and formatting by Jacqueline Banerjee. You may use the images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one. Click on the images to enlarge them.
Links to related material
- The Ascension stained glass panel in the East window
- Ominous cracks around one of the windows (photograph © S. Fielding)
Bibliography
"Cemetery Chapel, now Grove Gdns Chapel Church." Church Stained Glass Windows. Web. 17 August 2022.
"Church of England Chapel, Richmond Cemetery, Grove Road." Historic England. Web. 17 August 2022.
" Grove Gardens Chapel." Habitats and Heritage. Web. 17 August 2022.
Created 16 August 2022