St Stephen's, Gloucester Road facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Stephen's Church, Gloucester Road |
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St Stephen's, Gloucester Road
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| 51°29′45″N 0°11′01″W / 51.4957°N 0.1836°W | |
| Location | Gloucester Road, Brompton, London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Anglo-Catholic |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Joseph Peacock |
| Years built | 1866–1867 |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Chelsea |
| Archdeaconry | Archdeaconry of Middlesex |
| Episcopal area | Kensington (Bishop of Kensington) |
| Diocese | Diocese of London |
St Stephen's Church, Gloucester Road, is a beautiful Anglican church in South Kensington, London. It's considered a special historical building, known as a Grade II* listed site. You can find it right on the corner of Gloucester Road and Southwell Gardens.
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History of St Stephen's Church
In the mid-1800s, many people were moving to South Kensington. The Gloucester Road tube station also opened in 1865. Because of this growth, a church leader named Reverend John Sinclair decided to buy land. He wanted to build several new churches, and St Stephen's was one of them.
Before the main church was built, a temporary iron church was put up in 1865. The permanent St Stephen's Church was designed by architect Joseph Peacock. Construction happened between 1866 and 1867. However, a planned tower was never built. The new church was officially opened and blessed on January 10, 1867.
The first vicar, Reverend J. A. Aston, followed a more traditional style of Anglicanism. But later vicars, Reverend J. P. Waldo and Reverend G. Sutton Flack, moved the church towards a "High Church" style. This style, also called Anglo-Catholicism, has more traditional worship practices.
In 1887, architect Hugh Roumieu Gough added a special octagonal room called a vestry and a small chapel dedicated to Mary, called a lady chapel. Beautiful stained glass windows, designed by Nathaniel Westlake, were put in during the 1890s. More changes happened after Reverend Lord Victor Seymour became vicar in 1900. Architects George Frederick Bodley and Walter Tapper added a fancy carved screen, called a reredos, behind the main altar. They also built special areas for the choir and organ. Small changes continued to be made to the church throughout the 1900s, especially in the 1930s.
St Stephen's Church Today
St Stephen's Church holds several Masses (church services) on Sundays and during the week. A professional choir sings beautiful music during these services. The church's organ was built in 1905 by Norman and Beard and was made even bigger in 2001.
St Stephen's is a traditional Anglo-Catholic church. This means it follows older traditions and does not allow women to become priests or bishops. Because of this, the church receives special guidance from the Bishop of Fulham, currently Bishop Jonathan Baker. The church is also part of a group called Forward in Faith.
Famous Connections to St Stephen's
The church is well-known for its connection to the famous poet T. S. Eliot. After a difficult time in his life, Eliot found comfort and spiritual help at St Stephen's. From 1933 to 1940, he lived in the church's vicarage (the house where the vicar lives). He lived at 9 Grenville Place first, then at 11 Emperor's Gate.
St Stephen's played a very important part in Eliot's journey with his Christian faith. He explored the traditions and practices of Anglo-Catholic worship there. For 25 years, he even served as a churchwarden, which is a volunteer who helps manage the church. After he passed away, a special memorial was placed in the church to remember him.
Vicars of St Stephen's Church
Here are the priests who have served as vicar of St Stephen's since 1867:
- 1867–1871: The Rev. John Astbury Aston
- 1871–1894: The Rev. Joseph Peter Waldo
- 1894–1900: The Rev. George Sutton Flack
- 1900–1929: The Rev. Lord Victor Alexander Seymour
- 1929–1956: The Rev. Eric Samuel Cheetham
- 1956-1988?: The Rev. Herbert Moore
- 1988?-1995 The Rev. Christopher Colven
- 1995–2016: The Rev. Reginald Bushau
- 2017–present: The Rev. Philip Barnes
