ARCHITECTURE
St Mary’s, Chislehurst Paul Waddington looks at a church with a fascinating history
C
hislehurst now forms part of the London Borough of Bromley, but in 1853, when the church of St Mary was built, it was a village in Kent. Prior to the building of the church, the Catholic population of Chislehurst would have been small, although a number of Irish immigrants had found employment as quarrymen and farm labourers in the surrounding area. In the year 1851, the newly formed Diocese of Southwark recognised the need to provide a Mass centre and was looking for a suitable location. The solution was provided by one Captain Henry Bowden of the Scots Fusiliers, who lived in a large house (now a school) called The Coopers. Sunday Masses were offered at The Coopers, but it soon became apparent that a church was required. Captain Bowden again came to the rescue, donating a plot of land across the road from his home, and providing funds for the building of a church and presbytery. William Wardell was appointed as the architect, and building commenced in 1853. The church was opened by Bishop Grant in August 1854. Wardell had been much influenced by Augustus Welby Pugin, who was his mentor and personal friend. The design that he produced for Chislehurst was modest, and typical of fifteenth century parish churches found in the area. Built from rough Kentish ragstone with ashlar dressings, it had no side aisles, but included a chancel under a lower roof line. The (liturgical) west gable is undecorated, except for two large two-light windows. The main entrance is via a somewhat hidden porch attached to the north side, although there is a smaller porch on the opposing south side. This smaller porch also gives access to the sacristy and the presbytery. A modest belfry is mounted above the chancel arch. Had Pugin lived to see the church built, it would surely have met with his approval. William Wilkinson Wardell deserves more recognition as an architect than he is generally afforded. Born in 1823, into an Anglican family, he became interested in the Oxford Movement as a young man. He converted to Catholicism in 1843, at
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View of the church, mausoleum and presbytery
about the time when he was starting his architectural career. Over the next fifteen years, he was responsible for the design of several Catholic Churches in England, including, St Birinus in Dorchester, Our Lady Star of the Sea at Greenwich, Our Lady of Victories at Clapham and St Mary and St Michael in the East End of London. In 1858, at the age of 35, Wardell, who had health problems, decided to remove himself and his growing family to Melbourne in Australia, where he gained the prestigious position of Government
William Wilkinson Wardell converted to Catholicism in 1843
Architect for the State of Victoria. Besides his work for the government, Wardell developed a private business, and in the space of 20 years, designed St Patrick’s Cathedral and 14 other churches in the Melbourne area. In 1878, he moved to Sydney to take on the design of St Mary’s Cathedral. The two cathedrals were massive works and neither was completed until long after his death in 1899. The Emperor Napoleon III Life in the Chislehurst parish changed considerably in 1871 with the arrival from France of the exiled Emperor Napoleon III, with the Empress Eugenie and their son, the Crown Prince, Louis-Napoleon. By the time of his exile, the Emperor was in poor health, and he died two years later. His funeral was conducted at St Mary’s Church by Bishop Dannell, the second bishop of Southwark. Because there was little space in the church for a tomb, the sarcophagus was installed in the sacristy. In 1874, the Empress commissioned Henry Clutton to build a mausoleum for her husband in the French Gothic style. This was attached to the northeast corner of the church and constructed of ashlar stone. It was considerably more decorated than the church having hooded windows, and a conspicuous parapet of
SPRING 2022
