St Alban's Church, Teddington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids former St Alban's Church, Teddington |
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| Church of St Alban the Martyr, Teddington | |
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| 51°25′41″N 0°19′28″W / 51.4281°N 0.3245°W | |
| Location | Ferry Road, Teddington, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames TW11 9NN |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Founded | 1889 |
| Dedicated | 1896 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | deconsecrated |
| Architect(s) | William S Niven |
| Architectural type | French Gothic |
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| Abbreviation | LAC |
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| Legal status | registered company (registered in England and Wales; number 3061090) and registered charity (registered in England and Wales; number 1047080) |
| Purpose | "To preserve, maintain and improve the Church building formerly known as St Alban the Martyr, Teddington, for the benefit of the public and to advance the education of the public in the arts and crafts" |
| Headquarters | London, England |
| Location |
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Region served
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Teddington and the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames |
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Chair
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Martin Nicholds |
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Staff
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6 |
St Alban's Church is an old church building in Teddington, London, England. It was named after Saint Alban, who was the first Christian martyr in England. Even though it's still owned by the Church of England, the building is now used by the Landmark Arts Centre. It's a special place where people go for concerts, art shows, and other events. The building is also protected as a Grade II* listed site, which means it's very important historically.
Contents
History of St Alban's Church
Building the Church
The church was built on land that used to be part of Teddington Place. This property was bought by Charles Duncombe in 1683. The church stands right across the street from another old church, St Mary's Teddington.
The first stone for the new St Alban's Church was laid in 1887. The church was finished in 1889 and officially opened in 1896. The design was created by a local architect named William S Niven. He designed it in the French Gothic style, which is a type of architecture with pointed arches and tall windows. You can even see Niven's name carved on the outside wall of the church.
Inside the Church
Most of the church's stone comes from Doulting limestone in Somerset. Inside, the finer stone is from Corsham limestone in Wiltshire. The special decorations inside were made by A H Skipworth. The pulpit, which is where the speaker stands, is placed in the middle of the main hall, just like in French churches. Its simple top was later replaced in 1902 with a fancy carved oak design. This new design had gilded (gold-covered) pictures of angels.
Some of the beautiful stained glass windows are very old. One window shows the story of Jonah and the Whale. It was designed by Charles Eamer Kempe and looks like a window in Christ Church, Oxford. Four more windows were added in 1953. Another window on the west wall was made around 1850. It was originally in a different church in Islington. In 1992, it was carefully taken apart and put back together to be installed in St Alban's.
The "Cathedral of the Thames Valley"
The people who built St Alban's wanted it to be a huge church, similar to the famous Notre Dame de Paris in France. Even though it was never officially a cathedral (a very important church with a bishop's seat), many people called it "the Cathedral of the Thames Valley." However, they ran out of money. Because of this, a tall 200-foot tower that was planned was never built. Also, the main hall (nave) is shorter than it was supposed to be. A temporary wall was put at the west end, which was later replaced with a permanent one.
Changes Over Time
In 1967, the church's congregation (the people who went to services there) moved back to the older, smaller St Mary's Church across the road. St Alban's Church was then left empty in 1977. For several years, it was not used and was even damaged by vandals.
However, the building became famous in other ways! In 1985, the music video for the song "The Sun Always Shines on TV" by the Norwegian band A-ha was filmed inside the church. It also appeared in an episode of the TV show Crime Traveller in 1997.
Local residents, like Jean Brown and Irene Sutton, worked hard to save the church. They wanted to turn the old church into a place for the community and arts. Their efforts led to the creation of the Landmark Arts Centre.
The Building Today: Landmark Arts Centre
Today, the building is run by the Landmark Arts Centre. This is an independent charity that offers many art and education programs for people in the area. They have art classes, concerts, and exhibitions.
You can visit the Centre on weekdays from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM. When you visit, you can still see many of the original parts of the church building. It's a great example of how an old building can be given a new life for the community to enjoy!
