A few days ago I put up a photo of an abandoned church I explored recently on my Facebook, and one of my non-explorer friends commented asking whether it was a church out Farnborough way - it wasn't, so my curiousity was piqued. After a small amount of digging and a helpful google maps screenshot I located it, and if I'm honest this is one of those places that makes you wonder how on earth people more local than me managed to miss it.
In 1881 a Charles Randell built and endowed All Saints Home and it's attached church by the same name, designed by Arnold Hoole. Although Charles Randell initially wanted the building to be used as a convalescent home for residents in East London, he died before it was completed and his widow Eden Randell completed the buildings in his memory, with them both opening in 1882. Canon T.T. Carter undertook to run the home as a home for girls and young children from the slums of London without homes of their own, or who were 'exposed to evil influences'. It remained as a children's home until 1937 when it became a House of Rest and Prayer for Ladies, and in 1953 the buildings were handed over to the Royal United Kingdom Beneficent Association who modernised and enlarged it. All Saints Church was handed over to the Church Commissioners in March 1955 and consecrated by the Bishop of Guildford in May of that year.
Over time All Saints Home became known as Randell House, a care home for the elderly. The attached church was turned into a day centre for the elderly, and whilst Randell House only closed in 2016, the church has been disused and deconsecrated since around 2004. In 2019 Randell House was demolished, leaving only All Saints Church left standing, and it's currently stuck in limbo between the developers who want to demolish it and a quite sizeable campaign to save and reuse the building.
The old, now demolished building can still be seen standing on Google Streetview, it looked like it may have been a pretty good explore....
Thanks for looking
In 1881 a Charles Randell built and endowed All Saints Home and it's attached church by the same name, designed by Arnold Hoole. Although Charles Randell initially wanted the building to be used as a convalescent home for residents in East London, he died before it was completed and his widow Eden Randell completed the buildings in his memory, with them both opening in 1882. Canon T.T. Carter undertook to run the home as a home for girls and young children from the slums of London without homes of their own, or who were 'exposed to evil influences'. It remained as a children's home until 1937 when it became a House of Rest and Prayer for Ladies, and in 1953 the buildings were handed over to the Royal United Kingdom Beneficent Association who modernised and enlarged it. All Saints Church was handed over to the Church Commissioners in March 1955 and consecrated by the Bishop of Guildford in May of that year.
Over time All Saints Home became known as Randell House, a care home for the elderly. The attached church was turned into a day centre for the elderly, and whilst Randell House only closed in 2016, the church has been disused and deconsecrated since around 2004. In 2019 Randell House was demolished, leaving only All Saints Church left standing, and it's currently stuck in limbo between the developers who want to demolish it and a quite sizeable campaign to save and reuse the building.
The old, now demolished building can still be seen standing on Google Streetview, it looked like it may have been a pretty good explore....
Thanks for looking
