St Teresa of Avila Church, Chiddingfold facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Teresa of Avila
South side of church
51°06′52″N 0°37′41″W / 51.114429°N 0.627919°W / 51.114429; -0.627919
Location	Chiddingfold, Surrey
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	CatholicHaslemere.com
History
Status	Active
Dedication	Teresa of Ávila
Architecture
Functional status	Parish church
Architect(s)	Henry Bingham Towner
Completed	15 October 1959
Administration
Parish	Haslemere, Hindhead and Chiddingfold
Deanery	Guildford
Diocese	Arundel and Brighton
Province	Southwark

St Teresa of Avila Church is a Catholic church in Chiddingfold, Surrey. You can find it in the middle of the village, right by the cricket green. It was built in 1959 and designed by Henry Bingham Towner. Even though it's not a famous 'listed building,' experts from English Heritage think it's a really important and well-designed church. They even said it's the best church they've seen by Bingham Towner!

History of St Teresa's Church

How the Church Started

In 1953, priests from the Josephite order, who were based at Barrow Hills School in Witley, started coming to Chiddingfold. They came to help the local Catholic people. At first, they held their church services, called Mass, in a small hut in the village.

Building the Church

Building work on the new church began in 1959. The architect, Henry Bingham Towner, designed it carefully. He made sure the new church fit exactly where the old building used to be. The church officially opened its doors on October 15, 1959.

Church Design and Features

The church has a special shape called cruciform, which means it looks like a cross from above. Inside, there's a main walkway called an aisle that goes down the middle of the nave (the main part where people sit). There's also another aisle on the north side.

The front part of the church, called the sanctuary, where the altar is, is shaped like a half-circle. The ceiling is open and high, with no walls separating the nave, the transepts (the arms of the cross shape), and the sanctuary.

The south transept has a porch on one side and a small chapel on the other. The north transept is connected to the vestry, which is a room where priests get ready. The church walls are made of stone, and the roof is covered with slate tiles.

Outside the Church

The outside of St Teresa's Church is made of stone. You can see different views of the church from around the village.

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  View across the cricket green

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  West side of the church

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  Back of the church

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  East side of the church

The Parish Community

St Teresa's Church is part of a larger church community, or parish. This parish also includes Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Haslemere and St Anselm Church in Hindhead. The same priest leads services at all three churches and also at Holy Cross Hospital in Haslemere.

Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Haslemere was designed by Frederick Walters. It was built between 1923 and 1925. In 1937, beautiful stained-glass windows by Geoffrey Webb were added to this church.

St Anselm Church is located in the Beacon Hill area of Hindhead. The land for this church was bought in 1950. The church opened in 1954 and became its own parish. Later, in the 2000s, the parishes of Haslemere, Hindhead, and Chiddingfold joined together to form one larger parish.

Mass Times

• St Teresa's Church, Chiddingfold:

* Sunday Mass: 9:00 AM * Weekday Mass: 10:00 AM on Wednesday

• Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Haslemere:

* Sunday Mass: 11:00 AM * Weekday Masses: 10:00 AM on Monday, 12:00 PM (noon) on Thursday, and 10:00 AM on Saturday

• St Anselm Church, Hindhead:

* Saturday Evening Mass: 6:00 PM * Weekday Mass: 10:00 AM on Tuesday

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  St Anselm's Church, Hindhead

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  Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Haslemere

More to Explore

• List of places of worship in Waverley (borough)
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton