St Alfege Church, Greenwich facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Alfege Church |
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The church seen from the southeast
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| Location | London, SE10 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Dedicated | 1718 |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Years built | 1714 (present) |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Southwark |
St Alfege Church is an Anglican church located in the heart of Greenwich, a part of London. This historic church has roots going back to medieval times. The building you see today was rebuilt between 1712 and 1714, designed by a famous architect named Nicholas Hawksmoor.
Contents
A Look at the Church's Past
The church is named after Alfege, who was an Archbishop of Canterbury. It's believed that he was killed right here on April 19, 1012. He had been captured by Danish raiders the year before during an attack on Canterbury. The Danes brought him to their camp in Greenwich and killed him when they didn't get the large payment they demanded.
The church was rebuilt around 1290. A very important event happened here in 1491: Henry VIII was baptized in this church!
For a long time, the church was connected to a monastery in Ghent, Belgium. Later, it was given to a priory (a type of monastery) in Sheen, England. Finally, in 1530, it became part of the Crown's property under King Henry VIII.
In 1710, a big storm caused the medieval church to collapse. Its foundations had become weak over time, partly because so many people had been buried both inside and outside the church.
Building the Church Today
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After the old church fell down, the current building was constructed. Money for this came from a special group called the Commission for Building Fifty New Churches. Nicholas Hawksmoor, one of their main architects, designed it.
St Alfege was the very first church built by this Commission. Construction started in 1712 and was mostly finished by 1714. However, it wasn't officially opened until 1718. The church was built by Edward Strong the Younger, who was a friend of the famous architect Christopher Wren the Younger.
The church has a rectangular shape with a flat ceiling. The front of the church, facing the street, has a grand entrance with columns. A famous architect named Thomas Archer might have added some improvements to Hawksmoor's original plans.
Hawksmoor had planned a new tower for the church, but the Commission didn't want to pay for it. So, the old medieval tower was kept. In 1730, John James updated the tower and added a spire (the pointy top).
The church has a large organ that was installed in 2001. It originally came from Eton College and was built in 1891. Before that, the church had a very old organ from the 1500s! It was repaired and changed many times over the centuries.
The church used to have two churchyards where people were buried. These were closed in 1853. Later, in 1889, one of the churchyards was turned into a beautiful garden and recreation area called St Alfege Park. A landscape gardener named Fanny Wilkinson designed it, planting 500 trees.
Surviving the Blitz
During World War II, the church's basement (called the crypt) was used as an air-raid shelter to protect people from bombs. On March 19, 1941, during a heavy bombing period known as the Blitz, bombs hit the church's roof. The roof collapsed, and fire spread through the inside.
Even though much of the inside was destroyed, the walls and tower remained standing. The church was rebuilt and restored by Sir Albert Richardson in 1953. As part of this restoration, beautiful stencils of Mary and St John were added in a side chapel by the artist Augustus Lunn.
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A Surprising Event
In 2015, something quite unusual happened at a garden party held in the churchyard. It was a "cream tea" event to raise money for charity. Suddenly, armed police officers rushed in! An attendee said the vicar's wife was almost knocked over by a police officer with a large gun. But, in true British style, people just kept drinking their tea! The police then went to the nearby St Alfege Park, where they arrested a man and found a firearm. It was a very surprising day for everyone there.
Today, the church is also used for special events like "Founder's Day" for local schools, Addey and Stanhope School and The John Roan School.
Famous People Buried Here
Many notable people are buried in and around St Alfege Church. These include:
- William Newark (died 1509): A choirmaster and composer from the Renaissance period.
- Thomas Tallis (died 1585): A very famous composer.
- Henry Kelsey (died 1724): An English explorer who explored parts of Canada.
- General James Wolfe (died 1759): A military leader who won an important battle in Canada but died during it.
- Lavinia Fenton (died 1760): A well-known actress.
- Sarah Barrett Moulton (died 1795): A young girl from Jamaica who was the subject of the famous painting Pinkie. She died at just twelve years old, a year after her portrait was painted.
- John Julius Angerstein (died 1823): A merchant and art collector who was also a churchwarden (a church official).
Connections to Books
St Alfege Church has even appeared in famous books!
- In Charles Dickens's novel Our Mutual Friend, a character named Bella Wilfer gets married to John Rokesmith in St Alfege Church.
- In Tom McCarthy's novel C, the sound of laughter after a car crash reminds a character of the "liturgical chants and whispers echoing around St. Alfege's interior."
See also
