St Mark's, Battersea Rise facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mark's, Battersea Rise |
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St Mark's viewed from Battersea Rise
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| 51°27′37″N 0°10′13″W / 51.4604°N 0.1702°W | |
| Location | Battersea Rise, London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Conservative Evangelical |
| Website | http://www.stmarks-battersea.org.uk |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | William White |
| Style | Victorian Gothic |
| Years built | 1874 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Diocese of Southwark |
St Mark's, Battersea Rise is a historic Anglican church in Clapham Junction, London. It was built during the Victorian era and is considered a very important building, listed as Grade II*. This means it's a special building that should be protected.
About St Mark's Church
St Mark's Church was designed by a famous architect named William White. Construction took place between 1872 and 1874. The church was built in a style called Geometric Middle-pointed, which is a type of 13th Century Gothic design.
Building the Church
The church uses yellow bricks with red brick details. These red bricks create patterns on the walls, a technique called diapering. Inside, the main part of the church, called the nave, has four sections. It also has aisles on the north side.
At the south-west corner, there is a tower. This tower holds a wooden belfry, which is where the church bells are kept. On top of the belfry, there is a shingled spire, which is a tall, pointed roof.
Inside, the church has concrete pillars. These pillars have beautifully carved stone tops, called capitals, made by an artist named Harry Hems. The floor inside the church is covered with tiles. The special seats for the choir, the pulpit (where the preacher stands), and the font (where baptisms happen) were all designed by William White. The altar, which is a special table, is raised on a stone platform behind low brass rails. At the east end of the church, a walkway goes down to a crypt, which is an underground room.
A New Beginning
Over time, fewer people attended St Mark's Church, and the building started to fall apart. But in 1987, the church got a new start. A group from another church, Holy Trinity Brompton, helped to "plant" a new congregation here. This means they sent people to help St Mark's grow again.
Pastor Paul Perkin, his wife Christine, and about 50 other people led this effort. Thanks to donations from the new church members, building work began. In 2007, a new welcome hall and a larger meeting hall were opened, making the church a more welcoming place for everyone.
Church Beliefs
St Mark's Church is known for its traditional and evangelical Christian beliefs. In 2012, a newspaper called The Guardian wrote an article about the church. The article talked about different ideas within the Church of England and the wider Anglican community. These discussions are about how the church should be run and what it should teach.
Boutflower Road
The road next to the church, called Boutflower Road, is named after Henry Boutflower Verdon. He was supposed to be the first vicar (a type of priest) of St Mark's Church. Sadly, he died young in 1879. The road itself was built later, in 1886, as part of a new housing development.
