All Saints Notting Hill


All Saints Notting Hill is a Church of England parish church in Talbot Road, Notting Hill, London that is affiliated to the Anglo-Catholic Forward in Faith movement.
The church is built in a Victorian Gothic Revival style with striking polychromatic decoration. For heritage purposes the church is a Grade II* listed building.
WWW allsaintsnottinghill.org....

History

The building of All Saints' Church was begun in 1852 for the Reverend Dr Samuel Walker. Walker was a wealthy property speculator, one of several buying up land in the area that was then to be known as Kensington Park.
The church was designed by architect William White, working with Sir George Gilbert Scott as to be the centrepiece of Walker's local property development, and a church without pew rents.
Walker's property speculation in the area was a financial failure and he sold his interests to others speculating on property in the newly emerging area of Kensington Park.
As a result, the church-building was left unfinished for a number of years during which time in some quarters it received the epthet "All-Sinners-in-the-Mud".
All Saints was eventually completed in 1861 at a cost of £25,000, without its spire, for the incumbency of Reverend John Light of Trinity College Dublin.
The tower is high and is said to resemble the Medieval Gothic Belfry of Bruges, Belgium.
All Saints suffered serious bomb damage in The Blitz of World War II, along with neighbouring buildings including Pinehurst Court, at 1–9 Colville Gardens. The first bombs fell on 26 September 1940, and the church was hit again in March and June 1944. The Lady Chapel and the south transept chapel were destroyed. Restoration work was completed in 1951.
On October 14, 1966, Pink Floyd played the first of a number of events known as Notting Hill Fayre at All Saints church hall. The events, staged by the London Free School, were the forerunners of the internationally renowned Notting Hill Carnival. Three years later Hawkwind also played the church hall.

Clergy

From 1931 to 1961 the vicar was the outgoing and gregarious Fr John Twisaday, who established the high church worship tradition at All Saints. From January 2025 Rev. Charles Card-Reynolds will be Vicar.

Vicars

  • 1861–85 John Light
  • 1885–96 Robert Trench
  • 1896–1907 Philip Herbert Learyk
  • 1907–31 Herbert Ridley
  • 1932–61 John Herbert Cloete Twisaday
  • 1961–66 John Herbert Brewer
  • 1966–67 John Henry Dixon
  • 1967–74 Peter Clark
  • 1976–2018 John Brownsell
  • 2019-2024 Philip Corbett
  • 2025- Charles Card-Reynolds

Decoration and fittings

The chancel has paintings by Henry Holiday.

Notable parishioners

• Walter Passmore, a singer and actor best known for his comic baritone roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, was a choirboy at All Saints.

Organs and Organists

Organs

  • 1862-3. The church's first organ was built by Gray & Davison having first been displayed at the 1862 International Exhibition. It was located in the south transept of the church. This position led to some criticism:
  • 1902. A new three-manual organ by Norman and Beard was installed, in the north chancel and north transept.
  • 1952. The organ was reconstructed by Percy Daniel & Co, Clevedon, with the pipe-work placed inside the tower speaking into the church via an opening onto the west gallery.

Organists

Assistant Organists

  • 1877-79 Henry William Richards. Mus.D., Hon.R.A.M., Hon.R.C.M., F.R.C.O.
  • September 1959 Assistant organist post advertised at £40 p.a.