St Paul's, Onslow Square facts for kids
St Paul's, Onslow Square (also known as HTB Onslow Square), is a special Anglican church located in Onslow Square, South Kensington, London, England. It's a very old and important building, which is why it's a Grade II listed building. This means it's protected because of its history and architecture.
The church was built a long time ago, in 1860. The person who designed this beautiful building was an architect named James Edmeston. Over the years, many people have been part of its story. For example, a composer named William Carter became the church's organist in 1868. Also, a well-known clergyman named Hanmer William Webb-Peploe was the vicar (a type of church leader) for 43 years, from 1876 to 1919!
Quick facts for kids St Paul's, Onslow Square |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| 51°29′30″N 0°10′29″W / 51.4916°N 0.1746°W | |
| Location | Onslow Square, London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Evangelical |
| Website | https://www.htb.org/onslow-square-services |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | James Edmeston |
| Years built | 1860 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Holy Trinity Brompton with St Paul's, Onslow Square and St Augustine's, South Kensington |
| Deanery | Chelsea |
| Archdeaconry | Middlesex |
| Episcopal area | Kensington |
| Diocese | London |
Contents
A Church's Journey
In the late 1970s, something big happened. The church's local area, called a parish, joined with a nearby parish from Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB). St Paul's was then declared "redundant." This meant it was no longer needed for regular church services.
Saving the Church Building
The Diocese of London, which oversees churches in the area, tried to sell the building. They wanted to turn it into private homes. But local people and churchgoers worked together to stop this. They managed to save the church in the early 1980s!
Later, in the late 1980s, the church's local council asked for the "redundant" status to be removed. This allowed a church leader called a curate, Nicky Lee, and his wife Sila to start a new church group there. They also helped fix up parts of the building.
New Beginnings
In 1997, the church group at St Paul's split into three smaller groups.
- Some people went with another curate, Stuart Lees, to start a new church in Fulham.
- Others went back to HTB with Nicky and Sila Lee.
- The rest formed the St Paul's Anglican Fellowship and stayed at St Paul's with John Peters. This last group eventually moved to start a new church at St Mary's, Bryanston Square in 2002.
Modern Day Services
In 2007, HTB decided to make some changes and start holding services at St Paul's again. They had planned to rebuild some offices, but those plans changed. Instead, they focused on renovating the church building.
Growing Services
St Paul's started with services at 9 AM and 6 PM in September 2007. They added an 11 AM service in January 2008 and a 4 PM service in September 2009. In December 2009, the upstairs balcony, which had been used for offices, was opened again for people to use during worship. The office staff moved to a new building HTB bought nearby.
Today, St Paul's, Onslow Square, holds services every Sunday at:
- 10:30 AM
- 4:30 PM
- 6:30 PM
