Greenwich: St Paul
Overview
Grid reference: TQ 378 770
The church was designed by Samuel Sanders Teulon, and was consecrated on 30 July 1866. It received a direct hit from enemy action on 26 June 1944 and the interior was destroyed by fire. It was restored to a slightly reduced design and re-dedicated on 6 May 1950.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
Nave of seven bays with no north aisle but a south arcade of seven bays, the westernmost blind, the next opening into a two-storeyed porch, the next two opening into an aisle, the fifth into the aisle with an additional room beyond, and the last two into a south chapel. The chancel has small chambers to north and south, that on the south forming the base of a tower and consisting of a vestry on the ground floor and organ chamber above; the sanctuary has a semi-circular apse.
Description of Archaeology and History
The church was designed by Samuel Sanders Teulon, and was consecrated on 30 July 1866. It received a direct hit from enemy action on 26 June 1944 and the interior was destroyed by fire. It was restored to a slightly reduced design and re-dedicated on 6 May 1950.
Exterior Description
Evidently only the south and west sides of this church were intended to be seen, and from the streets they must have presented quite a pleasantly varied aspect originally. But the reduced restoration of the church after war damage has robbed it of its original height. The west wall, for example, has a double-chamfered doorway in the centre with three trefoil-headed lancets at each side; above them are two pairs of rectangular lights which doubtlessoriginally formed the lower parts of tall windows, and these are cut off by a brick gable of pediment-like proportions which shows the low pitch of the later roof. The north wall of the nave has uniform windows in every bay, consisting of two lancets with a cinquefoil above.
The south wall has some of the oddity which the name of Teulon leads one to expect, but here again the aspect has been changed by the restoration. In the west bay there is a small staircase with stepped windows which leads from the south porch to the west gallery. Then comes the porch itself, of two storeys with a doorway at the lower level and a gable above containing two trefoil-headed lancets and a quatrefoil. Then come two bays of an aisle, each with Caernarvon-arched lights grouped in threes. The roof of the aisle is now nearly flat and covered with copper, to allow glazed lights in the heads of the arcade arches. Then follows a small square room and finally a projecting chapel in the position of a transept, but like some of Lamb's churches this is given an almost domestic quality because it has canted corners and rectangular windows. The hipped roof appears to be lower than the original.
East of the chapel, which has a doorway similar to the west doorway in its east wall, comes the tower, set in the angle with the chancel. It is now of two storeys but originally rose higher The lowest stage forms the clergy vestry, with paired Caernarvon-headed windows and a doorway in the east wall, and the upper stage forms the organ chamber. This has a blind window of two lancets and a cinquefoil in the east wall and a roundel in the south wall containing a quatrefoil and eight small roundels. Access to the upper stage is by a spiral staircase within a cylindrical turret at the south-west angle, a picturesque detail typical of Teulon. This now ends in a shingled conical cap, but it clearly rose higher originally.
To the east of the tower is the sanctuary apse, semi circular in plan with seven windows fromed of trefoil-headed lancets and a quatrefoil above each. Its roof, however, is polygonal. There is a small chamber on the north side in the corresponding position to the tower, but of about half the size and with paired Caernarvon-headed windows.
Interior
Interior Description
The is rather bleak. walls are of exposed brickwork which has been painted pale yellow, and the reduction in height may have made practical sense, but war damage has robbed the building of a Teulon roof which may well have been its best feature. The present roof is ceiled with fibre board. At the west end there is a gallery with a pierced front, under which are rooms behind glazed screens at each side of the west door. The floor of the nave is of Liotex composition. The north and south walls. have differing arcades, but there is no aisle on the north side - only a sharply pointed arch framing each window. On the south the arcade is more orthodox with octagonal pillars with moulded bases and capitals supporting double-chamfered arches. The spacing is slightly odd the west bay is blind , then there is an arch opening at both levels into the porch, then a pier before the arcade proper begins. All the arches have now been blocked and the south aisle forms a kitchen, lavatory and meeting room, while the south transeptal projection is arranged as a chapel. The upper parts of the arches open over the lower pitched aisle roof and are glazed, giving valuable light to the nave.
The chancel is raised two steps above the level of the nave and the chancel arch has attached semi-octagonal colonettes with moulded bases and capitals which now support a plain depressed arch. Smaller arches open into the flanking chambers on each side. The floor is paved with red tiles divided by black lines with buff squares at the intersections. There is one further step at the communion rails, and the roof is quite flat internally.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
The altar is an oak table, possibly by Teulon, with open arches and chamfered uprights.
Pulpit
c.1910
The pulpit is of oak, hexagonal in plan with cinquefoiled open arches set on a moulded base.
Lectern
The lectern is a brass eagle.
Font (object)
The font is perhaps original, and consists of a circular bowl of red marble which gradually merges into a quatrefoil at the base, where it is supported on a short quatrefoil drum with stiff-leaf carving on the capital.
Organ (object)
The organ is a small two-manual instrument (Great 8,8,8,8,4; Swell 8,8,4; Pedal 16) with tracker action to the manuals and pneumatic to the pedals, originally built in about 1900 and installed here after the Second World War.
Rail
The communion rails are of oak, with arcading of Caernarvon arches on turned uprights with trefoils in the spandrels.
Churchyard
Grid reference: TQ 378 770
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | N/A |
| Solar Thermal Panels | N/A |
| Biomass | N/A |
| Wind Turbine | N/A |
| Air Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ev Charging | N/A |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
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