The Church of St Peter and St Paul
A few months back we looked at the history of the Old Church,
a.k.a. All Saints, a.k.a. the Green Church, a.k.a. St Peter and St
Paul, which slowly deteriorated in the late 18th Century, grew some
ivy, and became a ruin popular with artists. During this period of
disuse, parts of it were removed to develop the newer church that
was going up on Chingford Green. They took fonts and pulpits and
bells. If you ask me, it's amazing that they didn't take the name
as well. Oh - hold on - they did. They called this newer church St
Peter and St Paul, which, at the time, was the name of the Old
Church, along with... well, you know.
By 1840, the Old Church (a.k.a All Saints, the Green Church, etc
etc), was in a romantic state of bad repair. Artists and
photographers liked it, of course, and I daresay that poets would
sit around it and write upon the harshness of being, nightingales
and such like.
In 1848, Chingford was described as "an irregularly built but
pleasing rural village." The population was 971. But that rural
village was growing into the town that we know today. When the
railway arrived in 1873, the congregation grew further, and the
Rector and Lord of the Manor, the Reverend Robert Boothby
Heathcoat, decided to abandon the Old Church (Green, etc etc) and
to build a new church on Chingford Green. It was designed by Lewis
Vulliamy, who had earlier redesigned Friday Hill House, and it was
built at the rector's own expense - £5000. It was dedicated
by the Bishop of London on 18th July 1844. There are two memorials
to the Boothby Heathcoat family on the wall of the North Nave.
As part of the building process, the 12th century font, the 17th
century Parish Chest and the 18th Century pulpit were moved from
the Old Church to the newer one, as well as the three old
bells.
The new church of St Peter and St Paul would be faced with a
chequer-board pattern of white bricks, knapped flint panels and
stone dressings.
But still Chingford grew, and, by the turn of the century, it
was clear that an even bigger church was needed. Sir Arthur
Blomfield drew up plans for an extended chancel and naive aisles,
which were completed in 1903.
The organ was built by Norman and Beard between 1907 and 1908
and was installed in 1913. In recent years it has been thoroughly
renovated with the aid of an English Heritage Lottery grant.
The East Window was designed by Clayton and Bell. It was
installed in 1913 and depicts Christ with St. Gabriel, St. Michael
and St. Raphael. The Choir stalls were installed that same year.
The reredos and Sanctuary paneling were constructed in 1923. The St
Elizabeth Chapel was built and completed in 1937. At the same time
the East Window by Christopher Webb was also installed, showing the
Virgin Mary with St. Elizabeth and St. John the Baptist. The
stained glass window in the Baptistry is dedicated to the Holy
Spirit in memory of a former Rector of the Parish, Ian Pettitt.
During the Second World War, much of Chingford was bombed. On
Sunday, 13th October 1940, 9 bombs fell on the Green and Kings Head
Hill. One bomb fell on the churchyard and seriously damaged the new
St. Elizabeth Chapel. Reconstruction had to wait until after the
war, however. But then three new windows by Christopher Webb were
installed, depicting St. Hubert, (in memory of the Reverend Sidney
Goldston, the rector from 1936-45), St. Christopher and St. Francis
(in memory of Teresa and Florence Craft, parents of an earlier
churchwarden). Oak pews were added in the same year.
The Heritage Lottery Fund has also helped in recent repairs to
the building, when masonry in the spire became too dangerous. There
has been extensive replacement and repair of the masonry of the
spire. At the same time, the slate and asphalt roof coverings were
thoroughly renovated, the upper stonework was either repaired or
replaced, the stone parapets were overhauled and repairs and
improvements to the drainage were undertaken.
It remains a noble structure, overlooking the Green where
schoolchildren these days take their lunches. It is surrounded in
autumn by colourful trees, and its flints gleam at night in the
moonlight. Alongside it are the prettiest cottages in Chingford.
And along its northern side there runs a little tree-lined
pedestrian lane which links two of my favourite places, a library
and a pub. Now who could ask for more? It's a great pose to take a
book into a pub. But don't bring beer into my library, unless it's
for me.
David Young
