Charles Edward Wilson’s Beautiful Watercolors of Country Life
Charles Edward Wilson’s Beautiful Watercolors of Country Life
Architecture Wednesday: Weird Wild Philly Home
History of the Grosvenor Chapel, Mayfair
Along South Audley Street, the charming Grosvenor Chapel makes you feel like you’re suddenly in a little village in the heart of the West End. Mayfair was developed by the Grosvenor family from the 1720s and this church is the last surviving example of a proprietary chapel in the area. Its foundation stone was laid in 1730 by Sir Richard Grosvenor and it opened the following year. Richard was the son of Sir Thomas Grosvenor who married Mary Davies in 1677 and thus secured her property, a large but marshy swathe of land west of the City of London. Turns out it was a spectacular investment as today it covers Mayfair, Belgravia and Pimlico. In April 1731 the chapel opened, the design most likely by Benjamin Timbrell, a local builder who was one of four men granted a 99 year peppercorn rent by the Grosvenor Estate. When this lease was up in 1829 the church became a chapel of ease under the parish of St George’s Hanover. On the 1746 John Rocque map you can see the newly completed chapel (circled in yellow) and some empty spaces towards the bottom of the map where more streets form the Grosvenor Estate were not yet finished. John Rocque Map of London 1746 (layersoflondon.org.uk) In the 1799 R. Horwood map the streetscape is now complete and you can see the adjacent St George’s Burying Ground. R. Horwood Map of London 1799 (layersoflondon.org.uk) It closed for burials in 1854 and is now the charming Mount Street Gardens. Inside the Grosvenor Chapel At first glance, the interior seems very plain, flooded with light from the mostly clear glass windows and painted a stark white. The oak organ case dates from 1732 but contains a Georgian-style organ which dates from the 1990s. The plain marble font is from 1841. During the early 20th century some subtle but effective changes were made throughout the interior by Sir John Ninian Comper (1864-1960). Comper was a Scottish architect, famous for his work in the Gothic Revival style and almost exclusively working in ecclesiastical settings. One of his most enchanting London chapels is the St Sepulchre chapel within St Mary Magdalene in Paddington. In 1912-13 Comper added a screen which separated the chancel from the nave, creating a Lady Chapel which is normally only found in older, Catholic Churches. Other elements include the rood, an image of the Crucifixion creating a focal point for the congregation. You can also admire three stained glass along the south wall. Comper was hugely celebrated for his stained glass work, creating windows in Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. If you’re like me, you’ll love a tiny detail to spot and a trademark ‘signature’ of Comper is the inclusion of strawberries as a nod to his father. John Comper (born 1823) was a 19th century Scottish priest who worked closely with the most marginalised people within his community. Declared a ‘Hero of the Faith’ he died in 1903 after suddenly falling ill while distributing strawberries amongst local destitute children. As a loving tribute to his father Ninian Comper included a strawberry in every piece of stained glass he made from 1903 onwards. If you’re wondering why there are some Catholic-feeling aspects within a Protestant church, let me explain the historic context a little… Anglo-Catholicism The addition of more traditionally Catholic elements in puritan-style churches was part of a much larger movement which began in the early 19th century and was known as the Oxford Movement after a number of influential theologians based at Oxford University. Someone who regularly preached here was Bishop Charles Gore (1853-1932) who was part of the evolving Anglo-Catholic movement, which emphasises the Catholic, pre-reformation heritage of the Church of England, while sitting within Anglicanism. Some Anglo-Catholic churches in London include St Paul’s Knightsbridge, St Bartholomew-the-Great, St Margaret All Saints, St Pancras Old Church and St Magnus the Martyr. Interior of St Pancras Old Church. We usually visit on my Kings Cross walking tour. You can read about St Pancras’ definition of Anglo-Catholicism here. Memorials in the Grosvenor Chapel Within well-heeled Mayfair, it’s no surprise that the Grosvenor Chapel can boast a history of famous parishioners. Local worshippers include Florence Nightingale, whose blue plaque can be found on nearby South Street. John Wilkes, the radical politician, had a memorial tablet by John Flaxman can be see in the north gallery. Outside the main entrance of the church is another plaque which remembers its American connection. From 1938 until 2008 the US Embassy was based around the corner on Grosvenor Square. Today the building has almost finished its renovation as the new Rosewood Chancery Hotel and is scheduled to open later in 2025. Grosvenor Chapel on Screen Less of an historic connection, but I must tell you about the Grosvenor Chapel’s supporting role in an iconic British cinema moment. The Grosvenor Chapel is the church used for the marriage scene of Peter and Juliet (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor and Kiera Knightley) in Love Actually. After the ceremony there’s a surprise when muscians including trumpets, flutes and a whole choir suddenly appear, serenading the couple with a rendition of The Beatles “All You Need is Love” Related Blog – St Olave’s Hart Street For another church which feels like you’re stepping into a small village parish, read about the long and fascinating history of St Olave Hart Street here. Latest Blog Posts History of the Grosvenor Chapel, Mayfair Along South Audley Street, the charming Grosvenor Chapel makes you feel like you’re suddenly in a little village in the heart of the West End.... 34 Haymarket | London’s Oldest Shopfront? 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