Royal Garrison Church of All Saints is a

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

church in

Aldershot Garrison Aldershot Garrison, also known as Aldershot Military Town, is a major garrison in South East England, between Aldershot and Farnborough in Hampshire. The garrison was established when the War Department bought a large area of land near the villa ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. It was built in 1863 and designed by the architect P. C. Hardwick. The building is constructed in the

Gothic Revival style Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

using

English bond Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and mortar. Typically, rows of bricks called '' courses'' are laid on top of one another to build up a structure such as a brick wall. Bricks may be differentiated from blocks by si ...

red brick A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...

, hence its nickname of "the Red Church". It is the 'home' church for the Anglican military personnel serving in Aldershot. It is a Grade II

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

History of the Garrison Church

In January 1854 some 25,000 acres of Aldershot Heath were purchased with the view to setting up a permanent military camp in the area. The outbreak of the

Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...

later in the same year led to a military mobilisation and in 1855 12,000 huts were constructed in the Aldershot area to house the 20,000 militia who had been called up. It was soon apparent that the size of camp that Aldershot had become by this time would need a church, so a small iron building was commissioned; this was the only church in the camp at Aldershot from 1855 until 1863 and was on the site now occupied by the Garrison Church of St Andrew on Queens Avenue. When Parliament decided to make Aldershot a permanent Camp in 1857 a new site was chosen for the building of a permanent garrison church near to the

Royal Pavilion The Royal Pavilion, and surrounding gardens, also known as the Brighton Pavilion, is a Grade I listed former royal residence located in Brighton, England. Beginning in 1787, it was built in three stages as a seaside retreat for George IV of t ...

. The architect was

Philip Charles Hardwick Philip Charles Hardwick (London 1822–1892) was an English architect. Life Philip Charles Hardwick was born in Westminster in London, the son of the architect Philip Hardwick (1792–1870) and grandson of architect Thomas Hardwick (junior) ( ...

(1822-1892), who designed a red-brick structure in the

Gothic revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

style. The Church measures 143 feet in length and is 68 feet wide and can seat 1,250 worshippers. The spire is 170 feet tall and is a local landmark. It was consecrated by

Charles Richard Sumner Charles Richard Sumner (22 November 179015 August 1874) was a Church of England bishop. Life Charles Sumner was a brother of John Bird Sumner, Archbishop of Canterbury. Their father was Robert Sumner and their mother was Hannah Bird, a first co ...

Bishop of Winchester The Bishop of Winchester is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Winchester in the Church of England. The bishop's seat (''cathedra'') is at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire. The Bishop of Winchester has always held ''ex officio'' (except dur ...

, on 29 July 1863. The church is a Grade II listed building. Today the church is approached by way of Old Contemptibles Avenue, so named after the

Old Contemptibles The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was the six-divisions the British Army sent to the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during the First World War. Planning for a British Expeditionary warfare, Expeditionary Force began with the 1 ...

who attended an annual service at the church for many years and who would then parade out of the Church along this avenue and down to Wellington Avenue opposite. The avenue was opened by

Major-General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Ronald Bramwell-Davis Major-General Ronald Albert Bramwell-Davis CB DSO (8 October 1905 – 12 May 1974) was a keen cricketer as well as General Officer Commanding Aldershot District. Family Bramwell-Davis was born in Scotland in 1905, the son of Captain Percy Br ...

, General Officer Commanding Aldershot District on 24 August 1958, the 44th anniversary of the

Battle of Mons A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

. The Royal Army Dental Corps chapel is in the south west corner of the Church with an altar frontal in green with embroidered past and present badges of the Corps thereon. St Michael's Chapel - the Warrior's Chapel - is surrounded by a very fine screen.

Key events

* 1914

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. Born duri ...

and Queen Mary attended

Matins Matins (also Mattins) is a canonical hour in Christian liturgy, originally sung during the darkness of early morning. The earliest use of the term was in reference to the canonical hour, also called the vigil, which was originally celebrated by ...

on 19 May * 1923 The King allows the word "Royal" to be added to the church's name * 1963

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

attends the centenary service * 1976 The funeral of

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

Sir Mervyn Andrew Haldane Butler , Commander-in-Chief of Strategic Command of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

from 1970 to 1971 is held in January.

The Somme Cross

Located in the south porch is a large cross, about nine feet high and made of dark wood. The inscription on the cross reads: "In memory of the Officers, SNCO's and Men of 1st Division killed in action near High Wood during September 1916 - RIP".Paul H. Vickers, ''The Somme Cross''
- Friends of the Aldershot Military Museum website On the outbreak of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the 1st Division was based in Aldershot but within weeks was in action at the

. In July 1916 the 1st Division was in action during the

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme ( French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place bet ...

at the

Battle of Bazentin Ridge The Battle of Bazentin Ridge was part of the Battle of the Somme on the Western Front in France, during the First World War. On 14 July, the British Fourth Army (General Henry Rawlinson) made a dawn attack against the German 2nd Army (Gen ...

(14-17 July) and then at the Battle of Pozières (23-26 July) where they attacked the German second line of defence. The 1st Division went into action at High Wood in September 1916 and over the next few days saw some of the bloodiest hand-to-hand fighting during the Battle of the Somme which left the trenches thick with British and German dead. After the battle the 1st Division engineers put up a memorial cross at High Wood using wood taken from the ruins of Bazentin village. As after the War there was a permanent stone memorial to the 1st Division at Le Cateau the cross at High Wood had to be removed or left to decay; instead, it was brought back to the UK. The cross was re-erected in 1927 outside the 1st Division Headquarters in Pennefather's Road in Aldershot. In January 1939, to protect it from the elements, the Somme Cross was moved from Pennefather's Road into the south porch, which then became the 1st Division Porchway and where it has remained ever since.

Furnishings

The Great East Window

The biggest

stained glass window Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

in the church, it was commissioned by the 37th Hampshires to commemorate the officers, non-commissioned officers and men of the regiment who had been killed during the

Indian Mutiny The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...

of 1857 to 1859. It was designed in the Geometric style of architecture as found in churches built during the period c.1307-1337. The central panel shows the Resurrection with Christ emerging victorious from his tomb carrying a flag to symbolise his victory over death. The two panels on the left show

Joshua Joshua () or Yehoshua ( ''Yəhōšuaʿ'', Tiberian: ''Yŏhōšuaʿ,'' lit. 'Yahweh is salvation') ''Yēšūaʿ''; syr, ܝܫܘܥ ܒܪ ܢܘܢ ''Yəšūʿ bar Nōn''; el, Ἰησοῦς, ar , يُوشَعُ ٱبْنُ نُونٍ '' Yūšaʿ ...

while the two on the right depict Gideon.

The Altar

Both the main

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...

s at the east end of the church are of wood and were originally without any form of hangings. The carving on the front of the main altar is very fine; it was presented to the Church by the All Saints Branch of the Guild of St Helene. The various frontals and hangings used on the altar throughout the Church Year have been received from various donors.

The Organ

The organ was built by Brindley and Foster in 1900, and is the second instrument to stand in the Church. It has 1749 pipes and three manuals and pedals and eighteen speaking stops, with provision for another twenty-two stops which have subsequently been added plus an additional three. The gilded pipes on the north aisle screen are only dummies, and are not connected to the organ in any way.

The Pulpit

The carved oak

pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, access ...

is a memorial to Sir James Alleyn, RA and dates to 1899. In the four

quatrefoil A quatrefoil (anciently caterfoil) is a decorative element consisting of a symmetrical shape which forms the overall outline of four partially overlapping circles of the same diameter. It is found in art, architecture, heraldry and traditional ...

s at the base of the pulpit are the traditional symbols of the Four Evangelists: the eagle for St John; the lion for St Mark; the bull for St Luke, and the angel for St Matthew.

The Font

The

font In metal typesetting, a font is a particular size, weight and style of a typeface. Each font is a matched set of type, with a piece (a "sort") for each glyph. A typeface consists of a range of such fonts that shared an overall design. In mod ...

is rather plain and heavy in design but is unusual in that, unlike most fonts, it is square in shape. On the outside are the symbols of the Four Evangelists with their names in Latin: Sanctus Joannes, Sanctus Marcus, Sanctus Lucas and Sanctus Mattheus.

The Parachute Regiment Kneelers

Since 1967 the church has been the "spiritual home of ''The Paras''". All the soldiers from the

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

who died during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

are remembered with their own individual kneeler.

Wall memorials

There are many eminent soldiers commemorated: among them Frederick Arthur Montague Browning,

James Yorke Scarlett General Sir James Yorke Scarlett (1 February 1799 – 6 December 1871) was a British Army officer and hero of the Crimean War who led the Charge of the Heavy Brigade during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854. Early life The second son o ...

James Hope Grant General Sir James Hope Grant, GCB (22 July 1808 – 7 March 1875) was a British Army officer. He served in the First Opium War, First Anglo-Sikh War, Indian Rebellion of 1857, and Second Opium War. Early life Grant was the fifth and younge ...

Henry Renny General Henry Renny (1815–1900) was a British Army officer who was the 24th General Officer Commanding, Ceylon. He was appointed General Officer Commanding, Ceylon in 1869 and succeeded by John Alfred Street in 1874. Career Born 9 Septemb ...

Henry Jenner Scobell Major-General Sir Henry Jenner Scobell, KCVO, CB (2 January 1859 – 1 February 1912) was a British military leader who served as the last officer in command of Cape Colony before the formation of the Union of South Africa.Colby, Frank Moore ( ...

and Neil Douglas Findlay Scarlett's memorial includes a bronze bust of Scarlett flanked by two full-size bronze cavalry troopers of his former regiments, the

18th Hussars The 18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, first formed in 1759. It saw service for two centuries, including the First World War before being amalgamated with the 13th Hussars to form the 13th/18th Royal ...

and

5th Dragoon Guards The 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards was a British army cavalry regiment, officially formed in January 1686 as Shrewsbury's Regiment of Horse. Following a number of name changes, it became the 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) ...

, wearing VCs, four-bar Crimean War medals and

Long Service and Good Conduct medal Long Service and Good Conduct Medal is a service medal awarded to personnel in various branches of the armed forces of the United Kingdom and the territories that are or were at some point a part of the British Empire or Commonwealth of Nations. ...

Gallery

File:Royal Garrison Church Aldershot Obelix.jpg, Memorial to the Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces File:Royal Garrison Church Aldershot Memorial 2016.JPG, Small memorial outside the Church in November 2016 File:Allsaintsgate-wyrd-29O6-0117.jpg, 1st and 2nd Infantry Division Gates

References

External links

Royal Garrison Church, Aldershot
on

Victorian Web The Victorian Web is a hypertext project derived from hypermedia environments, Intermedia and Storyspace, that anticipated the World Wide Web. Initially created between 1988 and 1990 with 1,500 documents, it grew to 50,000 in the 21st century. In c ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aldershot, Royal Garrison Church Aldershot

Aldershot Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alders ...

19th-century Church of England church buildings Buildings and structures in Aldershot Grade II listed churches in Hampshire Churches in Aldershot