All Saints Church, Poplar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids All Saints, Poplar
All Saints, Poplar Location in Greater London
51°30′35″N 0°0′44″W / 51.50972°N 0.01222°W / 51.50972; -0.01222
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	High Church Anglo-Catholic
History
Dedication	All Saints
Administration
Parish	Poplar
Deanery	Tower Hamlets Deanery
Diocese	Diocese of London
Province	Province of Canterbury

All Saints Church, Poplar is a beautiful church located in Newby Place, Poplar, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London. It's the main Church of England parish church for the area. This historic building was constructed between 1821 and 1823. It's so important that it was officially recognized as a Grade II listed building on July 19, 1950, meaning it's protected for its special history and architecture.

History of All Saints Church

How Poplar Grew

The story of Poplar goes back a long way. In 1396, the small village of Poplar and Blackwall was given to Cistercian monks. These monks were from the Abbey of St Mary de Graces, near the Tower of London. This area became known as one of the Tower Hamlets.

The people living here helped the growing City of London. They worked as soldiers at the Tower and grew crops. By the time Henry VIII sold the land, Blackwall was famous for shipbuilding.

The 17th Century: Ships and Silk

In the early 1600s, many fathers in Poplar worked on rivers or at sea. In 1614, the Honourable East India Company, which traded spices, set up its main shipyard in Blackwall. Their main office was in Poplar. They even built a company chapel in 1652, which is now St Matthias Old Church.

Even with outbreaks of plague, the population kept growing. In 1685, many Huguenot refugees came to the area. They were skilled in making silk. This started a long tradition of the cloth trade in the East End of London.

The 19th Century: Docks and a New Church

At the start of the 1800s, huge docks were built east of the Pool of London. This was to avoid high taxes on goods brought into the City. The West India Docks were dug by hand in 1800, mostly by Irish workers.

New roads were built, like Commercial Road and East India Dock Road. In 1806, the East India Docks opened. All this building destroyed many homes. Work at the docks was not always steady. But by 1811, Poplar and Blackwall had over 7,000 people. In the next 50 years, this number grew to 43,000!

Wealthy merchants started moving to Poplar. In 1817, a law made Poplar its own parish. This meant it had its own local government. A special book from the time of King George III explains the new parish's rules. It even says the church leader could close East India Dock Road to stop noise during church services!

Building All Saints Church

The local leaders of Poplar looked for land to build a new church, graveyard, and a home for the church leader. They bought land from Mrs. Ann Newby. In 1820, they asked for designs for the new church. They wanted a building that showed Poplar's new importance.

Out of 36 designs, Charles Hollis's plan was chosen. He had worked in Poplar before. His original model of the church is still on display inside. Hollis also designed the Rectory, the home for the church leader.

All Saints Church was quite expensive for its time. It was built from granite and Portland stone. The engineer Thomas Morris built it. His grave is outside the church. The project cost over £33,000.

The first stone was laid on March 29, 1821. The church was officially opened on July 3, 1823.

Church Features

The church has grand Ionic columns at the front. Above them, the building rises to an elegant steeple, about 160 feet (49 meters) high. The tower holds ten bells, which cost £1,060 when new. These bells were made in 1822 and are still rung today.

Inside, there were large balconies on all sides. The pulpit, where sermons were given, could be raised for big crowds. There were even more balconies for children from the Poor Law Institute. A special staff used to keep the children in order is still in the church.

The church also had a royal coat of arms, showing its importance to the community. The small altar was made of cast iron. Later, the church changed its style to a more High Church Catholic style. A new, carved high altar was brought from Oberammergau.

Changes and Challenges

In 1866, some major banks collapsed, hurting the local shipbuilding industry. Then, a terrible cholera epidemic hit. Wealthy people started leaving Poplar for healthier areas. A brass plaque in the church honors the church leader, Revd Thomas Nowell, for his hard work helping the poor people of Poplar.

The churchyard on the north side was turned into a public garden in 1893 by the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association. It was designed by Fanny Wilkinson. More of the churchyard was opened in 1906.

The 20th Century: War and Renewal

In the 1920s, the docks faced hard times. All Saints Church also simplified its look. The inside was painted white, and the old adjustable pulpit was removed.

During the Blitz in World War II, Poplar was heavily bombed. The church played a big role in helping the community. Bombs often damaged the church, but hundreds of people used the crypt (the underground area) as an air-raid shelter.

Later in the war, a V-2 rocket badly damaged the church. It destroyed the east end and brought down the roof. After the war, in the 1950s, the church was restored. The balconies were removed, and a new organ was installed. The roof had to be supported by a strong steel frame.

In 1964, Poplar became the first "Team Ministry" in the London Diocese. This brought nine different parishes together. The area was known for being crowded and having high unemployment.

A modern community center was built in the church's crypt. In 1989, the bodies buried there were moved to a different cemetery. To build the new center, the church floor was taken up and replaced with a new structure. The crypt is now used for meetings and events.

In 1999, another church, St Nicholas' Church, was reopened in the area.

Organists

All Saints Church has had many talented organists over the years:

• Charles James Packham Stalain (1879–1942)
• Elizabeth Stirling (1819–1895)
• Mr J. Grout (in 1874)
• Louis Delabene Marsden A.R.C.O. (1867–1943)

Images for kids

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  All Saints Church, Poplar

See also

• All Saints DLR station which takes its name from the church
• List of churches and cathedrals of London