Church of St Paul, Letchworth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Paul |
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The Church of St Paul in Letchworth in 2017
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| 51°58′30″N 0°12′58″W / 51.97495°N 0.21617°W | |
| Location | Letchworth, Hertfordshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Consecrated | 3 May 1924 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | Arthur Heron Ryan Tenison |
| Groundbreaking | 10 October 1923 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | St Albans |
The Church of St Paul in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, is an Anglican church. It serves the Letchworth Gate area. This church is a "daughter church" of the nearby Church of All Saints in Willian. It belongs to the Diocese of St Albans.
The Church of St Paul was built starting in 1923. It was designed as a "Victory Church" after World War I. This makes it the largest war memorial in Hertfordshire.
Contents
Building a Church for Letchworth
When Ebenezer Howard created the first garden city in Letchworth in 1903, the Church of England didn't immediately build a central church there. The new town crossed the areas of three older village churches. These were St Mary's, St Nicholas, Norton, and All Saints, Willian.
In 1917, Reverend Montagu Sharpin Swatman wanted to build a church in Letchworth's Pixmore area. He hoped it would be easier for people in the new garden city to reach. He also wanted to offer comfort during World War I. At first, he hoped for a temporary building. But this wasn't possible because the Church of England didn't own land in the new town.
A Memorial Church is Planned
After World War I ended in November 1918, Swatman held a meeting. Twenty-eight people attended and donated money to start building a permanent church. In 1919, the Diocese of St Albans bought land from the First Garden City Company. Now, Swatman had a place to build.
They decided to build a "Victory Church." This church would be a working place of worship. It would also be a memorial to the victory at the end of World War I. The architect Arthur Heron Ryan Tenison was chosen to design it. His design was described as "ambitious" and used a traditional Gothic style. Tenison's design was even shown at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1921.
Construction and Growth
A special appeal was launched in 1921 to raise money. By October, £2,000 had been collected. It was decided that the new church would be named after St Paul. Through various fundraising events, £5,000 was raised. This money came from people in Willian and the new garden city.
Construction began, and the foundation stone was laid on October 10, 1923. The first part of the church was finished. This included part of the nave (the main area where people sit). The Bishop of St Albans, Michael Furse, officially opened this first section on May 3, 1924. A church tower was planned but never built.
By 1924, the church was getting too small for its growing number of visitors. So, work on an extension started in 1931. Two more sections were added to the nave. A space for the organ was added on the south side. A vestry (a room for clergy) was added on the north side. This extension was dedicated on December 18, 1931.
In 1934, a baptismal font was found. It had been removed from St Albans Abbey where it was installed in 1853. The font was brought to St Paul's and dedicated to the memory of Mrs Evelyn Swatman.
By 1938, the church needed to be extended again. An appeal was launched to raise £1,000. This money was raised by 1940. The north aisle was finished, a small entrance area (vestibule) was built, and the roof of the nave was completed. In 1958, a Church Hall was built next to the church.
Becoming Its Own Parish
For a long time, St Paul's Church was a "chapel of ease." This meant it was part of the larger church area (parish) of Willian. But on January 17, 1963, St Paul's became its own official church parish.
Later, in 1977, the parishes of Willian and Letchworth St Paul were joined under one "benefice." This allowed them to share the same clergy (priests) while still being separate parishes.
In 1989, the inside of the church was changed. The seating was turned to face the west instead of the east. A new, smaller altar was installed. New communion rails were added. The pulpit was covered, and the baptismal font was moved to a different corner.
In August 2015, windows at the church were broken in an act of vandalism. In February 2022, the covered pulpit was removed. At the end of 2023, the north aisle was rebuilt to make it safer. Also in 2023, the church got new wooden chairs, making the space look more modern.
Images for kids
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The Church of St Paul in Letchworth in 2017
