St Edward the Confessor Church, Romford

St Edward the Confessor

St Edward the Confessor Church, Market Place, Romford
Denomination Church of England
Churchmanship Anglo-Catholic
Website stedwardsromford.org
Architecture
Heritage designation Grade II*
Architect(s) John Johnson
Style Victorian Gothic
Administration
Parish Romford
Deanery Havering
Archdeaconry Barking
Diocese Chelmsford
Province Canterbury
Clergy
Vicar(s) Mike Power
Curate(s) Roger Clark
Laity
Organist(s) Jonathan Venner
Churchwarden(s) TBA
Verger Chris Patmore

The church of St Edward the Confessor is a place of worship in Romford, Essex. It is an Anglican church and forms part of the Diocese of Chelmsford. The building dates from 1849–50 and replaced an earlier church which was demolished in the mid-19 century. There has been a religious building on the site since the end of the 14th century. The current church was completed to a Victorian Gothic design by the English architect John Johnson.[1] It was designated as a Grade II* listed building by English Heritage in 1952.[2][3]

History

Church of 1410

Romford's earliest known place of worship was a small chapel, dedicated to Saint Andrew, in Old Church, an area of the borough that still exists today. The chapel was established in 1177 and was built near to the River Rom from where Romford takes its name. The chapel existed into the late-14th century but it fell into ruin and was eventually demolished.[4] Old Church, which is inside Romford's ring road, takes its name from the "Old Church of 1410".[4]

A new church was built on the site of the present building towards the end of the 14th century; it was completed in 1410.[4] The grounds were consecrated by Henry Chichele, Bishop of St David's, on 23 March of that year and was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St Edward the Confessor. It had a chancel, nave and north aisle and was longer than its predecessor by 28 ft and was 14 ft wider. It had a brick tower with a ring of five bells, and later, a gallery was built at the west end, which housed a charity for orphaned children.[4]

By 1710 the orphanage had become the St Edward's School which was founded within the vestry.[4] The school moved to a separate building in Romford's Market Place in 1728. Almost 30 years later a replacement weight driven clock was installed and three bells were added to the peal. The building remained in use until 1844 when work on a new church to the east of the Market Place (now the war memorial in Main Road) was started. Construction at that location was abandoned in favour of the current Market Place site. By 1849 the last services were held at the Market Place church before it was demolished later that year.[4]

Current building

On 19 September 1850, the new church was consecrated by George Murray, Bishop of Rochester. The English architect John Johnson (1807–1878) designed the new church in Gothic architecture, a type of style that had been used in England since the Middle Ages. Johnson required that the church be built mainly of Kentish Ragstone with Bath stone dressings.[5]

Some of the materials used in building the church came from John Nash's Quadrant in Regent Street, London, which was at that time being demolished. This may account for the many carved corbels depicting the heads of kings, queens, bishops, the Green Man, a veiled woman and sundry other heads with unusual head dresses.[5] The wall that separates the churchyard from the Market Place is the original structure and dates to around the time of the building of the second church in the 14th century.[6]

The church sustained minor damage during the Second World War in 1943. During the renovations a year later an electric clock and chime bells were installed,[4] perhaps to replace the bells that had been requisitioned for the war effort.[7]

The church was recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building on 4 July 1952.[2][3] By 1965, the school had moved to a new location in London Road and became a secondary school.[4] A new organ was installed in the west gallery in 1979, and five years later, the Church House was restored. A major renovation took place in 1988 which included under floor heating, whilst the fixed pews were converted a free standing.[4]

The church received a grant from the Pilling Trust in 2001 and a lavatory and kitchen facilities were added. The same year, an oak carving of St Edward the Confessor, was commissioned and installed in the main porch. The following year chairs replaced the free standing pews.[4] The spire, 162 feet high, underwent major repair work in 1992. The church is 81 feet in length, 54 feet wide, and 55 feet in height.[5]

Interior

The church consists of a nave of five bays with clerestory, north and south aisles, chancel, Lady Chapel and west gallery. Two vestries were added in 1885.[5]

The chancel, by the south wall features a monument to Sir George Hervey. On the north wall, a memorial to Sir Anthony Cook, is now a scheduled monument of national importance.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "St Edward The Confessor's Church, Romford", Essex Churches website, accessed 8 May 2015.
  2. 1 2 St Edward the Confessor's Church (Market Place), Historic England website, accessed 3 December 2015.
  3. 1 2 Parish Church of St Edward the Confessor, Havering, British Listed Buildings, accessed 10 July 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "The Parish Church of St. Edward the Confessor, Romford", Stewards Romford: CofE approved website, accessed 9 May 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "St Edward's Romford - History - Present Church". St Edward's Romford. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
  6. ↑ "Romford", Chelmsford Chronicle 20 September 1850, p. 2.
  7. ↑ "The bells, too, are fighting": the fate of European church bells in the second world war.", The Free Library, accessed 24 July 2016.

Sources

Coordinates: 51°34′45″N 0°10′50″E / 51.57917°N 0.18056°E / 51.57917; 0.18056

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