Christ Church, Ealing

Christ Church

George Gilbert Scott

Consecrated 1852

Ealing

Source: Illustrated London News

“This handsome edifice was consecrated on Wednesday with the accustomed ceremony. Much interest «was created on the laying of the foundation-stone, from the circumstances of Christian liberality under which the good work was commenced. The necessity for additional accommodation had long been inconveniently felt, especially by the poor, and a subscription was commenced for building new church. Almost £1000 had been raised, when a lady endued with pious zeal, came forward and magnificently undertook to erect the church at her own expense.” [continued below]

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Accompanying article in Illustrated London News continued

Miss Lewis, the foundress, laid the first stone in the presence of the Vicar of Ealing, some of the neighbouring clergy, and a large number of the inhabitants. as well as her personal friends. The vicar, Rev. Mr. Smith, performed the usual service, and, at the conclusion of it, presented Miss Lewis with the silver trowel, and expressed the subscribers’ grateful sense of the piety and liberality which had suggested the noble undertaking.

The consecration service of the Church on Wednesday was performed by the Bishop of London, who, at the appointed time, attended by his chancellor and a very large number of clergymen, entered the Church, the organ playing the Hallelujah chorus. The preliminary ceremonies having been gone through, the Bishop, followed by his train, passed up the nave and returned to the altar reciting the appropriated sentences from the consecration service. The rev. rector then read the morning prayer and the litany, and the Bishop preached an impressive sermon from the 1st Epistle of St. Peter, chap. iv., verse 10-44 — “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracle of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth, that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praises and dominion for over, amen.” The service was performed with great simplicity. There was no chanting, and the only parts sung were the 84th psalm and the 100th psalm, in which the congregation joined. After the aervice the bells pealed out merrily, and the company, after inspecting the Church more minutely, went to Miss Lewis’s residence, whore an elegant déjeuner was provided; and the Bishop, In proposing the health of the munificent foundress, expressed himself in terms of high prai2e of the Church, adding that among nearly 200 which he had consecrated, he thought none had surpassed it.

The style of the new Church is the Transition between the Earlier and Later Decorated or Middle-Pointed, the leading forms of the tracery being 44 geometrical," and the minor details “flowing." [sic]

The Church is of the simplest and most uniform plan of a parochial church, consisting of a nave and aisles, chancel and aisles, or side chapels, western tower, and south porch. It provides accommodation for nearly 800 persons.

The nave has five arches in its length, bearing an ample clerestory. The chancel has on either side a double arch opening into the aide chapels. This is a novel feature, at least in a modern church; and seems particularly suitable to a space which is too wide for a single arch, but scarcely sufficiently so for two distinct arches. The space intervening between the two arches and the single arch under which they are placed is filled in with open tracery, and they are supported by a very light clustered pillar—the whole forming one of the most distinctive features in the interior. The chancel is pavsd with beautiful encaustic tiles, th« gift of E. W. Hilliard, Esq. The altar coverings and carpets, the gifts of ladles resident at Ealing, are very rich and elegant. The seats, which are all of oak, are of ornamental construction and character.

The design of the tower and spire differs much from what is usual among modern churches, and in some degree resembles the beautiful ancient steeple at Bloxham. The buttresses stop at the level of the base of the belfry storey, and terminate in pedestals carrying the symbols of the Evangelists. The sqnare form continues thence to the springing of the arches of the belfry windows, whence it falls off into an octagon, the angles of the square being surmounted by turrets slightly detached from the octagon. This arrangement gives considerable lightness and richness to the effect. The height of the spire is between 160 and 170 feet. In a niche on the west side of the octagon is a well executed figure of onr Lord, of life size.

The architect to the building is Mr. George Gilbert Scott; the builder, Mr. Myers; and the cost, independent of accessories, such as the ring of bells, &c., about £7000 — an extraordinary low amount for a church of so much architectural character. The altar coverings and work of the same class are by Mr. Beard; the decorations of the east wall, a class of ornament of which it would be well to add much more, are by Mr. Castell. The very elegant gas fittings by Mr. Potter. The altar plate (a superb service of silver gilt, quite in character) is by Messrs. Garrard.

Bibliography

“New Church, Great Ealing, Middlesex.” Illustrated London News 4 (3 July 1852): 5. Hathi Trust Digital Library version of a copy in the University of Michigan Library. Web. 4 December 2015. The text above was created from the page images in the web version with ABBYY FineReader.

Last modified 5 December 2015