Me @Chloe Explores and my daughter visited here on our trip around Surrey.
When we arrived there were a couple of older ladies with a bucket looking under bits of sheeting around the grounds just outside the church. I think they were carrying out an ecological survey as my old idiot neighbour used to do this with bits of carpet to catch worms for fishing.
We didn’t make a point of either hiding or introducing ourselves but they knew we were there and left us to it.
Beautiful church set in a large area of land, the land immediately in front of the church is just barren soil/mud from where the very large building that used to be there was. It was a children’s home and was last used for elderly care.
Unfortunately the vandals had been inside with their paint cans and no imagination other than stupid words, the windows are boarded apart from the beautiful stained glass window high above the door.
A nice little mooch for photos (that’s me and my daughter in one of them) and a place with plenty of history for a change.
History
(some photos I found while researching are included at the end)
In 1881 Mr. Charles Randell of Fern Hill, Hawley, (a cousin of the Revd. John Randell who was the founder of Holy Trinity Church, Hawley), built and endowed All Saints' Home (now Randell House) and also founded a Chapel - now known as All Saints' Church.
The Home was intended as a convalescent home for the people of a parish in East London, but before it was completed Charles Randell died. The Home and Chapel were completed in 1882 by his widow Eden Randell in his memory, and the Community of St. John Baptist, Clewer, under the guidance of Canon T.T. Carter, their founder, undertook to run the Home as a home for girls and young children from the slums of London who were without homes of their own, or "exposed to evil influences".
All Saints' continued as a home for children until 1937 when it became a house of Rest and Prayer for ladies. The home closed for a short time at the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, but reopened the following spring. In 1953 All Saints' Home was handed over to the Royal United Kingdom Beneficent Association who modernised and enlarged it, and the following year the Sisters of the Clewer Community left to return to their Mother House at Clewer, near Windsor.
Although All Saints' Church was the chapel of the Home, it was always open to the public and there was a close link with the parish of Hawley. The Vicar of Hawley was normally a member of the Home committee.
All Saints' Church was officially handed over to the Church Commissioners in March 1955 and consecrated by the Bishop of Guildford on the 8th May the same year.
The Church was designed by Mr. Arnold Hoole (who also designed the tower and Spire of both Holy Trinity Church, Hawley, and St. Michaels Church, Yorktown (Camberley). The building consisting of the nave, apsidal chancel and sanctuary was completed on the 25th March 1882 -Lady Day - and dedicated by Bishop Harold Browne on the 13th May, of that year.
In 1890 the sacristy was added and the work paid for by Mrs. Randell. In 1902 the porch was built by Mr.J.C. Randell - nephew of Mrs. Randell - and in 1924 the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, designed by Mr. Cecil Hare, was erected. The stone crucifix on the exterior of the east wall of the Chapel, was added a year later.
The church is built of red brick, and the chancel and nave are covered by a timber barrel roof with a tiled exterior. Originally there was a small bell tower constructed of timber, situated above the east end of the nave. The bell tower became unsafe over the years and in 1955 it was removed and the bell rehung above the west door of the nave where it Is today.
Above the west door is a beautiful stained glass rose window by Clayton & Bell. In the centre of the window is the Lamb of God supporting a banner on which the words "Ecce Agnvs Dei" can be seen. This central figure is surrounded by eight angels and four pairs of cherubs. The lower angel is holding the inscription "WORTHY IS THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN"
In 2008 planning was submitted to turn the property into an assisted living scheme for the elderly. The Chapel building is a 'Hampshire Treasure'.
The Hampshire Treasures arise from two 'Countryside in 1970' conferences which sought to provide a single record of 'treasures'. Hampshire County Council carried out a survey in this respect using volunteer field correspondents. The County Planning Department transferred this data to draft lists and then draft reports, which led to the publication of the 'Hampshire Volumes', containing definitive lists of ‘treasures’ within each of the County Districts. Volume 3, Hart and Rushmoor, was published in 1980. However, the inclusion of an item in this publication confers no statutory protection, except that of recognition and recorded knowledge. No particular reason is given for the inclusion of the chapel as a ‘treasure’, presumably other than its age.
my photos
When we arrived there were a couple of older ladies with a bucket looking under bits of sheeting around the grounds just outside the church. I think they were carrying out an ecological survey as my old idiot neighbour used to do this with bits of carpet to catch worms for fishing.
We didn’t make a point of either hiding or introducing ourselves but they knew we were there and left us to it.
Beautiful church set in a large area of land, the land immediately in front of the church is just barren soil/mud from where the very large building that used to be there was. It was a children’s home and was last used for elderly care.
Unfortunately the vandals had been inside with their paint cans and no imagination other than stupid words, the windows are boarded apart from the beautiful stained glass window high above the door.
A nice little mooch for photos (that’s me and my daughter in one of them) and a place with plenty of history for a change.
History
(some photos I found while researching are included at the end)
In 1881 Mr. Charles Randell of Fern Hill, Hawley, (a cousin of the Revd. John Randell who was the founder of Holy Trinity Church, Hawley), built and endowed All Saints' Home (now Randell House) and also founded a Chapel - now known as All Saints' Church.
The Home was intended as a convalescent home for the people of a parish in East London, but before it was completed Charles Randell died. The Home and Chapel were completed in 1882 by his widow Eden Randell in his memory, and the Community of St. John Baptist, Clewer, under the guidance of Canon T.T. Carter, their founder, undertook to run the Home as a home for girls and young children from the slums of London who were without homes of their own, or "exposed to evil influences".
All Saints' continued as a home for children until 1937 when it became a house of Rest and Prayer for ladies. The home closed for a short time at the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, but reopened the following spring. In 1953 All Saints' Home was handed over to the Royal United Kingdom Beneficent Association who modernised and enlarged it, and the following year the Sisters of the Clewer Community left to return to their Mother House at Clewer, near Windsor.
Although All Saints' Church was the chapel of the Home, it was always open to the public and there was a close link with the parish of Hawley. The Vicar of Hawley was normally a member of the Home committee.
All Saints' Church was officially handed over to the Church Commissioners in March 1955 and consecrated by the Bishop of Guildford on the 8th May the same year.
The Church was designed by Mr. Arnold Hoole (who also designed the tower and Spire of both Holy Trinity Church, Hawley, and St. Michaels Church, Yorktown (Camberley). The building consisting of the nave, apsidal chancel and sanctuary was completed on the 25th March 1882 -Lady Day - and dedicated by Bishop Harold Browne on the 13th May, of that year.
In 1890 the sacristy was added and the work paid for by Mrs. Randell. In 1902 the porch was built by Mr.J.C. Randell - nephew of Mrs. Randell - and in 1924 the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, designed by Mr. Cecil Hare, was erected. The stone crucifix on the exterior of the east wall of the Chapel, was added a year later.
The church is built of red brick, and the chancel and nave are covered by a timber barrel roof with a tiled exterior. Originally there was a small bell tower constructed of timber, situated above the east end of the nave. The bell tower became unsafe over the years and in 1955 it was removed and the bell rehung above the west door of the nave where it Is today.
Above the west door is a beautiful stained glass rose window by Clayton & Bell. In the centre of the window is the Lamb of God supporting a banner on which the words "Ecce Agnvs Dei" can be seen. This central figure is surrounded by eight angels and four pairs of cherubs. The lower angel is holding the inscription "WORTHY IS THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN"
In 2008 planning was submitted to turn the property into an assisted living scheme for the elderly. The Chapel building is a 'Hampshire Treasure'.
The Hampshire Treasures arise from two 'Countryside in 1970' conferences which sought to provide a single record of 'treasures'. Hampshire County Council carried out a survey in this respect using volunteer field correspondents. The County Planning Department transferred this data to draft lists and then draft reports, which led to the publication of the 'Hampshire Volumes', containing definitive lists of ‘treasures’ within each of the County Districts. Volume 3, Hart and Rushmoor, was published in 1980. However, the inclusion of an item in this publication confers no statutory protection, except that of recognition and recorded knowledge. No particular reason is given for the inclusion of the chapel as a ‘treasure’, presumably other than its age.
my photos
