St Paul's (also known as the Church of Saint Paul's) is a

Grade II* listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

church on Queen Caroline Street,

Hammersmith Hammersmith is a district of West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. It ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. The church is adjacent to Hammersmith flyover and a short walk from Hammersmith tube station.

History

The original church

originated as a

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

within the parish of Fulham, with All Saints Church as the

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...

. In the early 17th century, the distance of the hamlet and its increasing population from All Saints Church in Fulham led to demands for a

chapel of ease A chapel of ease (or chapel-of-ease) is a church architecture, church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently, generally due to trav ...

to be built in the area. On 5 December 1629, "Inhabitants of Hammersmith", including Sir Nicholas Crispe, a wealthy merchant who had lived since 1625 in a house on the riverside in Hammersmith, petitioned Bishop Laud,

Bishop of London The bishop of London is the Ordinary (church officer), ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury. By custom the Bishop is also Dean of the Chapel Royal since 1723. The diocese covers of 17 boroughs o ...

and later

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...

, for the building of a chapel in Hammersmith, begging him to "consider the length and foulness of the way between Fulham and that place, in winter most toilsome, sometimes over ploughed lands, and almost unpassable".'''' Edmund Sheffield, 2nd Earl of Mulgrave added a supporting letter for the cause On 10 December 1629, Bishop Laud granted the petition "that the chapel be built as other churches are, east and west, without tricks", finding the contributions for building the chapel to be 242 pounds, 7 shillings and 4 pennies besides materials and an east window and the allowance for the minister to be 28 pounds, 31 shillings and 4 pennies. On 20 December 1629 Dr. Richard Cluette, Vicar of Fulham, wrote to Bishop Laud asking that all churchings taking place at the chapel be conducted at the

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

and in

veils A veil is an article of clothing or hanging cloth that is intended to cover some part of the human head, head or face, or an object of some significance. Veiling has a long history in European, Asian, and African societies. The practice has be ...

, a tradition in Fulham. On 22 December 1629, Edmund Sheffield, 2nd Earl of Mulgrave, wrote to Bishop Laud, confirming no intention to derogate from the rights of All Saints Church,

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...

and attempting to put to bed rumours that the contributors were trying to install a "busy-header or factious man" as church minister. On 29 December 1629, Bishop Laud wrote to Edmund Sheffield, 2nd Earl of Mulgrave, confirming he was satisfied with the plot of land, manner of constructions and reservations made to protect the rights of the mother-church, All Saints Church,

. On 11 March 1629, the foundation stone was laid and

consecrated Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

by Bishop Laud. On 7 June 1631, by an instrument under his episcopal seal, Bishop Laud granted a parcel of ground within the Manor of Fulham of length and width to the inhabitants of the hamlet for the purposes of building a chapel and cemetery at their own cost. The Hammersmith Chapel was built principally by a subscription of inhabitants of the hamlet. The 2nd Earl of Mulgrave purchased the land in 1629, and the main contributor to the building fund was Sir Nicholas Crispe, who supplied £700 and bricks. Before consecration, an agreement was executed in writing between Dr. Richard Cluette, Edmund Sheffield, 2nd Earl of Mulgrave, Richard Chest, Sir Nicholas Crispe, John Alston, Carew Saunders, Richard Warwick, Thomas Morton, Samuel Crispe, John Buck, Thomas Holden, Richard Chilton, strictly preserving the rights of the mother-church. The terms of the agreement stipulated that: * Residents of Hammersmith were responsible for paying and maintaining a

curate A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' () of souls of a parish. In this sense, ''curate'' means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy who are as ...

and repairing and maintaining for the chapel, from which the Vicar and inhabitants of Fulham were exempt. * Residents of Hammersmith must continue to pay all tithes, oblations, fees, other emoluments and contributions to the repair of All Saints, Fulham. * The Vicar of Fulham and residents of Fulham were no longer required to provide or pay for a curate in Hammersmith and not required to contribute to the maintenance of the chapel. * Residents of Hammersmith must receive Holy Communion at All Saints, Fulham annually at

Easter Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...

and were free to attend services at All Saints, Fulham at any time. * Ceremonies (

marriages Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

, christenings, churchings and

burials Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and object ...

) were to be recorded in Fulham's parish register with fees to be paid to the Vicar of Fulham. * The Hammersmith

and

churchwarden A churchwarden is a lay official in a parish or congregation of the Anglican Communion, Lutheran Churches or Catholic Church, usually working as a part-time volunteer. In the Anglican tradition, holders of these positions are ''ex officio'' mem ...

were responsible for providing weekly reports to Fulham on all ceremonies and associated fees. * The Vicar of Fulham was not obligated to perform services at the chapel but may do so if he wishes and must have a reserved seat when he visits. Hammersmith_Church_1813

On 7 June 1631, the

and

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite, graveyard, or a green space called a memorial park or memorial garden, is a place where the remains of many death, dead people are burial, buried or otherwise entombed. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek ...

were consecrated by Bishop Laud, alongside his biographer

Peter Heylyn Peter Heylyn or Heylin (29 November 1599 – 8 May 1662) was an English ecclesiastic and author of many polemical, historical, political and theological tracts. He incorporated his political concepts into his geographical books ''Microcosm ...

. The name of the chapel was to be known as the "Chappel of Saint Paul". On 6 October 1646, Edmund Sheffield, 1st Earl of Mulgrave died and was buried at the church in a tomb of black and white marble 7 feet (2.1 m) long, 3 feet (0.91 m) high and 3 feet (0.91 m) over, defended with iron rails, where a monument to his memory was erected by his wife Mariana, Countess of Mulgrave. On 26 February 1665, Sir Nicholas Crispe and was buried at the church in a monument of black and white marble 8 feet (2.4 m) long and 2 feet (0.61 m) wide, upon which was a brass head of King Charles, with an oval engraving:

This Effigies was Erected by the special Appointment of Sir Nicholas Crispe, Knight and Baronet, as grateful Commemoration of that Glorious Martyr King Charles I. of blessed Memory.

Under that oval was a white pedestal upon which was inscribed:

Within this Urne is Entomb'd the Heart of Sir Nicholas Crispe Kt. and Baronet, a Loyal Sharer in the Sufferings of his late and present Majesty. He first settled the Trade of Gold, and there Built the Castle of Cormentine. Died the 26th of February 1665. Aged 67.

The present church

In 1834, upon the passing of the Hammersmith Parish Act 1834,

became a distinct

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

with St Paul's as the

and

vicarage A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or Minister (Christianity), ministers of a given religion, serving as both a home and a base for the occupant's ministry. Residences of this type can have a variety of n ...

under Francis Thomas Atwood as the new Vicar of Hammersmith. Hammersmith was developing rapidly, helped by the arrival of the new

Metropolitan Railway The Metropolitan Railway (also known as the Met) was a passenger and goods railway that served London from 1863 to 1933, its main line heading north-west from the capital's financial heart in the City to what were to become the Middlesex su ...

. At a public meeting held on 20 January 1880, the decision was taken to rebuild the church on the same site. It was felt that the building was no longer big enough to accommodate the growing population and 'The old unsightly structure is not worthy of being the chief witness to God in the midst of such an important Metropolitan Suburb as Hammersmith has now become.' From 1882 to 1891, Chamberlen Brothers built St Paul's Church in

, designed by

architects An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

J. P. Seddon and H. R. Gough. In July 1882 the

Duke of Albany Duke of Albany is a peerage title that has occasionally been bestowed on younger sons in the Scotland, Scottish and later the British royal family, particularly in the Houses of House of Stuart, Stuart and House of Hanover, Hanover. History ...

laid the foundation stone, and the nave of the new church was consecrated on 13 October 1883. Like St Peter's Church in Hammersmith, St Paul's lost a significant portion of its land, including that with graves, when Hammersmith Flyover and the Great West Road were built in 1957–61.
Hammersmith Chess Club
briefly used the Church Hall as their home venue from 1970 to 1975, before later moving on to Blythe House. In 1983, the church pews were removed and replaced with more flexible seating. In the 2000s, an extension was built onto the western end of the church, incorporating a new hall and kitchen, and accompanied by a major restoration programme. The work was done by Bryen & Langley and the extension was opened in 2011.

Exterior

The church is designed in the

Early English Gothic English Gothic is an architectural style that flourished from the late 12th until the mid-17th century. The style was most prominently used in the construction of cathedrals and churches. Gothic architecture's defining features are pointed a ...

Style, with

lancet window A lancet window is a tall, narrow window with a sharp pointed arch at its top. This arch may or may not be a steep lancet arch (in which the compass centres for drawing the arch fall outside the opening). It acquired the "lancet" name from its rese ...

s, powerful

buttress A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall. Buttresses are fairly common on more ancient (typically Gothic) buildings, as a means of providing support to act ...

es, a high roof and an imposing tower.

Interior

The internal dimensions of St Paul's Church are: length 190 ft (57.9m), width 73 ft (22.25 m), height 63 ft (19.2m). It was designed to seat 1,400 people. The walls are of brown Ancaster stone, with Belgian marble used for the clustered columns and wall-linings. There are six bays, formed by the five main columns on each side, with white and blue

Bath stone Bath Stone is an oolitic limestone comprising granular fragments of calcium carbonate originally obtained from the Middle Jurassic aged Great Oolite Group of the Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines under Combe Down, Somerset, England. Its h ...

used for the arches and some carved decoration. The

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, accesse ...

came from the former church of All-Hallows-the-Great in the

City of London The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...

. The stained glass windows of the church were made by

Clayton and Bell Clayton and Bell was one of the most prolific and proficient British workshops of stained-glass windows during the latter half of the 19th century and early 20th century. The partners were John Richard Clayton (1827–1913) and Alfred Bell (1832� ...

. Those on the north side depict the life of

Saint Paul Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...

, the apostle of the Church; while those on the south side depict the life of

Saint Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...

, the other apostle who is usually paired with Paul. There are two ceiling height paintings by Charlie Mackesey of the crucifixion of Jesus and the Prodigal Son in the chancel of the Church.

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Paul's, Hammersmith

Churches completed in 1631 Rebuilt churches in the United Kingdom Churches completed in 1883 19th-century Church of England church buildings Grade II* listed buildings in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Grade II* listed churches in London Grade II* listed government buildings Diocese of London Hammersmith History of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham 1631 establishments in England Holy Trinity Brompton plants Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany