St Catherine's Church or St Catherine of Alexandria Church is a Catholic parish church in West Drayton, Borough of Hillingdon, London. It was built from 1868 to 1869 and designed by Thomas John Willson[4] and Samuel Joseph Nicholl. It is architecturally in the Gothic Revival style and was paid for by the Irish immigrants living in the west Drayton area. It is situated on The Green near the town centre. On 12 May 2016, it was designated a Grade II listed building.[2]
| St Catherine's Church | |
|---|---|
| St Catherine of Alexandria Church | |
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| 51°30′15″N 0°28′35″W / 51.5043°N 0.4763°W | |
| OS grid reference | TQ058794 |
| Location | West Drayton |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Website | Official website |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Catherine of Alexandria |
| Consecrated | 1893 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II listed |
| Designated | 12 May 2016[1] |
| Architect(s) | Thomas John Willson Samuel Joseph Nicholl |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 29 September 1868 |
| Completed | 1869[2] |
| Administration | |
| Province | Westminster |
| Archdiocese | Westminster |
| Deanery | Hillingdon[3] |
| Parish | West Drayton and Yiewsley |
History
editFoundation
editAfter the English Reformation, some Catholics in West Drayton, particularly the Paget family, descendants of William Paget, 1st Baron Paget, were recorded as papists by the authorities. Anne Paget (died 1587), William's wife, was suspected of hiding Anthony Tyrrell after he escaped from prison. In 1676 and 1706, no one wrote that they were Catholic in those years' censuses. For the rest of the 18th century, there were no recorded instances of Catholic public worship. After the arrival of Irish migrants to work in places such as the railways, the number of Catholics increased. In 1867, West Drayton had its own Catholic parish and a resident priest, Fr Michael Wren. The priest lived at White Cottage on Money Lane. In 1868, stables and an old coachhouse were turned into a temporary chapel. They were situated behind a pub, The King's Head, which is now No. 29 The Green. It could fit 400 people, and there was a space there for 80 schoolchildren too. The Catholic congregation used these temporary premises while the current church was being built.[5]
Construction
editOn 29 September 1868, the feast of Michaelmas, the foundation stone of the church was laid by the Archbishop of Westminster, Henry Manning. The architects were Thomas John Willson and Samuel Joseph Nicholl. The two of them had worked on other notable Catholic churches such as St Charles Borromeo Church, Westminster and St Alban and St Stephen's Church, St Albans. The church is in the Gothic Revival style and it opened in 1869.[6]
In 1886, a new high altar was installed in the church. In 1985, the organ was restored, the altar rails removed and the high altar was brought forward. That year, efforts were made to build a spire on top of the tower according to the original plan of the church. However, as not enough money was raised, a small concrete block was added to the top of the tower.[6]
Parish
editSt Catherine's Catholic Primary School is to the west of the church. The church has four Sunday Masses at 7:00 pm on Saturday and at 9:00 am, 11:00 am and 6:00 pm on Sunday.[3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Roman Catholic Church of St Catherine from British Listed Buildings, retrieved 22 October 2024
- ^ a b "West Drayton - St Catherine". Taking Stock. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
- ^ a b Directory from Archdiocese of Westminster, retrieved 21 October 2024
- ^ Brodie A. (ed), (2001), Directory of British Architects, 1834–1914: 2 Vols, British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects, pg 1018.
- ^ "West Drayton: Roman catholicism and old catholics", in A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 3, Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell, Sunbury, Teddington, Heston and Isleworth, Twickenham, Cowley, Cranford, West Drayton, Greenford, Hanwell, Harefield and Harlington, ed. Susan Reynolds (London, 1962), British History Online, accessed 22 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Roman Catholic Church of St Catherine, Non Civil Parish - 1428695 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
Externals links
edit
Media related to Category:St Catherine's Church, West Drayton at Wikimedia Commons