St Edmund Church, Godalming
St Edmund's Church | |||||||
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The Church of St Edmund King and Martyr | |||||||
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Arundel and Brighton | |||||||
Deanery | Guildford[2] |
St Edmund's Church (in full, The Church of St Edmund King and Martyr) is the
Although originally present from ancient times, since the 1500s the Catholic Church had no modern presence in the historic town of Godalming—known for its
The "fine, if austere" church[4] is built of local stone and overlooks the town. It is one of several churches in the area designed by the prolific architect Frederick Walters. The interior decoration dates from various times in the 20th century and includes rare bas-relief Stations of the Cross, an ornate Lady chapel and stained glass by Hardman & Co.
Early Catholicism in Godalming
After the
The Catholic population of Godalming grew during the 19th century. By 1860, when priests from Sutton Place founded and built a new Catholic church in Guildford,[12] about 60 residents travelled there every Sunday for Mass.[11] This arrangement continued for the rest of the century, but in 1899 Captain W.H. Rushbrooke of Bowlhead Green, a nearby hamlet, bought a site in Croft Road[C 1] and arranged for a tin tabernacle to be erected. This was opened on 26 November 1899 by Bishop of Southwark Francis Bourne and was dedicated to Edmund the Martyr, 9th-century king of East Anglia, because Rushbrooke was from Suffolk where Edmund lived and was buried.[13] Rushbrooke, described on this death in 1926 as "a very faithful supporter ... and a great benefactor [of] the Catholic Church", also built a chapel at his home and funded the permanent church in Guildford and the first church in Farnham.[13][14]
The present church
At first, the tin tabernacle was served by priests from the Franciscan friary at Chilworth and from the church at Guildford.[11] It was allocated its own parish in 1904, and the first resident priest was appointed on 1 November of that year.[13] Fr. St George Kieran Hyland was 29 years old and had served as a curate at St George's Cathedral, Southwark; Godalming was his first appointment as a priest. Recognising the need for a larger permanent church, he took steps to purchase land on a "towering bank of undeveloped hillside" further along Croft Road. The site was acquired on 15 May 1905, the first stone of the new church was laid on 8 October 1905 and construction was completed on 27 June 1906.[15] The local firm of David Fry built the church, and the architect was Frederick Walters.[16] This "extraordinarily prolific architect" designed more than 50 Catholic churches, many in southeast England.[3]
The church cost £4,700 to build.
Canon Hyland (he became a
Fr Hawkins was succeeded by Fr Maurice Pledger, under whose five-year ministry St Joseph's Church at Milford and the Church of Our Lady of Assumption in Elstead were opened. The parish now had three churches.[24] Fr John McSheehy served for ten years from 1969 and established the first St Edmund's Catholic Primary School near Godalming town centre, and also opened dialogue with the Anglican Diocese of Guildford which culminated in Farncombe's Anglican church being used for weekly Catholic Masses, serving the population in the north of the parish.[25] During Fr Tony Clarke's incumbency (1980–1990), a new St Edmund's School[C 2] was built and plans were made for a large new church to be built alongside it: the aim was to replace St Edmund's Church, the daughter churches at Milford and Elstead (the latter closed in 1985) and the Mass centre at Farncombe with a single central place of worship for the whole parish. This never came to fruition, though, and land reserved for the proposed church next to the school[C 3] was sold for residential development. After Fr Clarke moved to St Mary of the Angels Church in Worthing, new priest Fr Bernard Rowley again took up the idea of centralising worship in a single church: he sought a site within Godalming town, and also considered the former Congregational chapel on Bridge Street[26] which had been sold in 1977 and was in commercial use,[27] but structural problems made it unsuitable for conversion back into a place of worship. Fr Michael Perry, who joined the parish in 1994, instead arranged for St Edmund's and St Joseph's churches to be refurbished and improved.[28] The parish hall was sold in 1997 and was demolished in favour of a block of flats.[15]
Architecture
St Edmund King and Martyr's Church was designated a Grade II
Fr Hyland was "the inspiration and the driving force" behind St Edmund's Church, which was "very much his own church". He chose the site and may have influenced the design. Local tradition claims that it was built on the side of a steep hill overlooking the town so that even its short spire would reach higher than the tall steeple of the parish church,
As originally built, the interior was very plain: most of the fittings post-date it by several years.
Parish, other churches and administration
Godalming parish is one of seven within the Deanery of Guildford, one of 13 deaneries in the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton.[2] The parish covers a large area of southwest Surrey—about 100 square miles (260 km2)—but was originally even bigger, spanning a vast rural area from Hindhead in the southwest to Cranleigh in the northeast.[44] In its present form it is bounded by the parishes of Guildford to the north, Cranleigh & Bramley to the east, Haslemere to the south and Farnham to the west.[45] There are now three Catholic congregations within the parish: St Edmund's has a daughter church at Milford, and there is an arrangement for Mass to be said at the Anglican church in Farncombe. As of 1999, monthly Masses were also said at Ladywell Convent[C 4] on the southern edge of Godalming and at the Hydon Hill Leonard Cheshire Disability Hospice[C 5] in Busbridge. The church also serves Milford Hospital,[C 6] formerly the Surrey County Sanatorium.[45] There was another daughter church at Elstead until 1985,[26] and Masses open to the public have sometimes been offered at the chapel of Barrow Hills School,[C 7] a Catholic preparatory school between Godalming and Witley.[21] During the 1920s, public Mass was occasionally said at Captain Rushbrooke's private chapel at Cosford House in Bowlhead Green.[46]
Haslemere was the first parish to be carved out of the original St Edmund's parish. A Mass centre was founded there in 1908, but no church building was provided initially—the back room of a pub was used for worship. In 1924 it was allocated its own parish and priest, and the present Church of Our Lady of Lourdes was completed in August of that year (again to the design of Frederick Walters).[46][47] Bramley was in Godalming parish until 1955; the present Church of St Thomas More dates from 1959[48] and is now part of a joint parish with Cranleigh.[49]
St Joseph's Church
In Farncombe the parish priest of St Edmund's says Mass for the local Catholic population in the Anglican Church of St John the Evangelist.[C 9] The need for a Mass centre in the north of the parish was first discussed in November 1971, and after extensive consultation with the Anglican community a trial Mass was held at St John the Evangelist's on 11 March 1973. Its success was repeated when further trials took place in summer 1974, and the Bishop of Dorking Kenneth Evans formalised the arrangement in November that year.[25]
Money from the weekly building fund started by Fr Denis Hawkins in 1964 was used both for St Joseph's Church in Milford and for the construction of a permanent church in
In 2015, no Sunday Masses were held at St Edmund's Church: a Vigil Mass takes place at 6.00pm on Saturdays. There are three Masses of Holy Days of Obligation, one of which is in Polish.[54] One Sunday Mass takes place at St Joseph's Church in Milford (10.15 am)[55] and the Anglican church in Farncombe (8.45 am).[56] Rev. Mirosław Slawicki, one of three Polish priests serving the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton, is based at St Joseph's Church. Two Sunday Masses are said in Polish there each week, and he also celebrates Mass at Horsham and Guildford.[57] A diocesan review of the parish in 2006 stated that the average weekly Mass attendance across all three churches in the parish was 427. The seating capacity of St Edmund's Church was stated as 188, St Joseph's was given as 192 and St John the Evangelist's at Farncombe was 200.[58] Average weekly attendance figures across all churches in the parish are known for 1910 (138 people; only St Edmund's Church existed then), the mid-1960s (900 across Godalming, Milford and Elstead churches) and 1999 (426 across Godalming, Milford and Farncombe).[45]
St Edmund's Church is licensed for worship in accordance with the Places of Worship Registration Act 1855 and has the registration number 42119.[59] It was registered for the solemnisation of marriages on 14 January 1908.[60]
See also
Coordinates
- ^ 51°11′03″N 0°36′49″W / 51.184235°N 0.613523°W
- ^ 51°10′40″N 0°36′15″W / 51.17778°N 0.6042024°W
- ^ 51°10′40″N 0°36′19″W / 51.1779°N 0.6053°W
- ^ 51°10′19″N 0°37′06″W / 51.171923°N 0.618378°W
- ^ 51°09′23″N 0°36′19″W / 51.156455°N 0.605369°W
- ^ 51°10′01″N 0°37′32″W / 51.16707°N 0.625649°W
- ^ 51°09′05″N 0°39′23″W / 51.151282°N 0.656425°W
- ^ 51°10′24″N 0°38′56″W / 51.17329°N 0.649018°W
- ^ 51°11′45″N 0°36′13″W / 51.195762°N 0.603685°W
- ^ 51°10′40″N 0°42′23″W / 51.177864°N 0.706345°W
Notes
- Deputy Lieutenant and Member of parliament for the Guildford constituency. He also enforced the Elizabethan Religious Settlement in the county.[6]
- East Grinstead, Eastbourne, Haslemere and Camberley, the friary at Chilworth and additions to the churches at Brighton (St Joseph), Hove (Sacred Heart) and West Grinstead.[37]
- ^ An early-1980s photograph of the church showed a long building with a low-pitched roof, a small cross on the gable and a recessed entrance below wooden panelling.[52]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Historic England. "Church of St Edmund King and Martyr, Croft Road (south side), Godalming (Grade II) (1189582)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
- ^ a b The Diocese of Arundel & Brighton 2015, pp. 31–32.
- ^ a b c d e Sladen & Antram 2005, p. 3.
- ^ a b c d e f Sladen, Teresa; Antram, Nicholas (2005). "Godalming – St Edmund King and Martyr". English Heritage. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
- ^ a b Nairn & Pevsner 1971, p. 254.
- required.)
- ^ Polack & Whitbourn 1999, pp. 3–4.
- ^ a b Polack & Whitbourn 1999, p. 2.
- ^ Kelly 1907, pp. 384–385.
- ^ Polack & Whitbourn 1999, pp. 4–5.
- ^ a b c Polack & Whitbourn 1999, p. 6.
- ^ a b Kelly 1907, pp. 195–196.
- ^ a b c Polack & Whitbourn 1999, p. 8.
- ^ "Obituary: Captain W.H. Rushbrooke". The Tablet. London: Tablet Publishing Company. 12 June 1922. p. 22. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
- ^ a b c d Polack & Whitbourn 1999, p. 9.
- ^ a b c d e f Polack & Whitbourn 1999, p. 26.
- ^ Polack & Whitbourn 1999, p. 11.
- ^ a b Head 1990, §. 58.
- ^ Polack & Whitbourn 1999, p. 12.
- ^ Polack & Whitbourn 1999, pp. 10–11.
- ^ a b Polack & Whitbourn 1999, p. 13.
- ^ a b Polack & Whitbourn 1999, p. 19.
- ^ Polack & Whitbourn 1999, p. 20.
- ^ Polack & Whitbourn 1999, p. 14.
- ^ a b Polack & Whitbourn 1999, p. 15.
- ^ a b c Polack & Whitbourn 1999, pp. 16–17.
- ^ Head 1990, §. 62.
- ^ Polack & Whitbourn 1999, p. 17.
- ^ "Listed Buildings". English Heritage. 2012. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
- ^ "Images of England – Statistics by County (Surrey)". Images of England. English Heritage. 2007. Archived from the original on 28 October 2013. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
- ^ "Godalming Directory – Waverley Borough Council". Godalming Town Council. 2015. Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
- ^ Historic England. "Unitarian Chapel and Cottage, Meadrow (east side), Godalming (Grade II) (1044505)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- ^ Historic England. "Friends Meeting House, Mill Lane (south side), Godalming (Grade II) (1352714)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- ^ Historic England. "Salvation Army Meeting Hall, 18 Mint Street (north side), Godalming (Grade II) (1044475)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- ^ Historic England. "Former Congregational Church and attached Sunday School, now Messenger, May & Baverstock Premises, Bridge Street (north-west side), Godalming (Grade II) (1294577)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- ^ Historic England. "Church of St Peter and St Paul, Church Street (east side), Godalming (Grade I) (1044546)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- ^ Sladen & Antram 2005, pp. 25–26.
- ^ Sladen & Antram 2005, p. 4.
- ^ Nairn & Pevsner 1971, p. 256.
- ^ Nairn & Pevsner 1971, pp. 79–80.
- ^ a b Polack & Whitbourn 1999, p. 28.
- ^ Polack & Whitbourn 1999, p. 27.
- ^ Head 1990, §. 59.
- ^ Polack & Whitbourn 1999, pp. 7–8.
- ^ a b c Polack & Whitbourn 1999, p. 7.
- ^ a b Polack & Whitbourn 1999, p. 10.
- ^ Nairn & Pevsner 1971, p. 305.
- ^ Nairn & Pevsner 1971, p. 116. (Church is incorrectly shown under the heading Blindley Heath.)
- ^ "Cranleigh & Bramley Parish". Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton. 2015. Archived from the original on 4 October 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
- ^ Polack & Whitbourn 1999, pp. 13–14.
- ^ Sladen, Teresa; Antram, Nicholas (2005). "Milford, Godalming – St Joseph". English Heritage. Archived from the original on 3 October 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
- ^ Polack & Whitbourn 1999, Photograph at p. 14.
- ^ Polack & Whitbourn 1999, pp. 20–21.
- ^ The Diocese of Arundel & Brighton 2015, p. 82.
- ^ The Diocese of Arundel & Brighton 2015, p. 102.
- ^ The Diocese of Arundel & Brighton 2015, p. 79.
- ^ The Diocese of Arundel & Brighton 2015, p. 132.
- ^ "Planning Parishes 2010". A&B News. No. 182. Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton. March 2006. p. 9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 February 2007. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- ^ Registered in accordance with the Places of Worship Registration Act 1855 (Number in Worship Register: 42119; Name: St Edmund King and Martyr Catholic Church; Address: Croft Road, Godalming; Denomination: Roman Catholics. (Archived version of list from April 2010; subsequent updates)
- ^ "No. 28100". The London Gazette. 17 January 1908. p. 435.
Bibliography
- Head, Ronald (1990). Godalming in Old Picture Postcards. Vol. 2. Zaltbommel: European Library. ISBN 90-288-4965-3.
- Kelly, Bernard W. (1907). Historical Notes on English Catholic Missions (PDF). London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
- ISBN 0-300-09675-5.
- Polack, Bernard; Whitbourn, John (1999). The Catholic Parish of St Edmund King & Martyr, Godalming, 1899–1999. Farnham: Arrow Press.
- Sladen, Teresa; Antram, Nicholas (11 November 2005). Architectural and Historic Review of Churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton (PDF) (Report). English Heritage. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
- The Diocese of Arundel & Brighton (2015). Diocese of Arundel & Brighton Diocesan Directory 2015. Crawley: Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton.