Our Ladye Star of the Sea, Greenwich

Introduction

Our Ladye Star of the Sea in Greenwich was built c1846-1851, designed by William Wardell in Decorated Gothic style. The church opened on 9 December 1851 and was consecrated on 16 September 1852.

History

The Roman Catholic mission at Greenwich was established in 1793, one of the oldest in south London. The first chapel was built by architect James Taylor in the back garden of his own house in Park Vista and opened on 10 November 1793. The church was partly built as a thank offering for the saving of two brothers from drowning in the Thames. The high altar by Wardell was exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851.

A chapel dedicated to the Sacred Heart was opened on the site in September 1891. A major refurbishment was carried out in 1965 by Myles and Deirdre Dove.

The church was designed by Gothic Revival architect William Wilkinson Wardell, and was his first work of any importance. In the summer of 1850, Stuart Knill offered to gift Fr Richard North the altar and reredos for the Blessed Sacrament chapel, conditional upon it being designed by Augustus Pugin. Pugin's ceiling designs did not arrive in Greenwich until May 1851. Pugin died two days before the consecration, and both Pugin's funeral and the consecration were reported next to each other in The Tablet on 25 September. Enrico Casolani was born in Malta and became a pupil of the Nazarene painter Johann Friedrich Overbeck.

Architecture and furnishings

The church is built of coursed Kentish ragstone with Caen stone dressings and natural slate roof coverings. The plan is a conventional Puginian type with a west tower and spire, six-bay nave, lean-to aisles, a chapel off the south aisle, a chancel with chapels and a sacristy. The tower has a pierced parapet and an octagonal spire with two tiers of lucarnes. The nave has six-bay arcades of pointed moulded arches with octagonal capitals carried on octagonal piers of Purbeck marble.

The original encaustic tile floors to the nave and aisles were covered with cork tiles in 1965. The north aisle has a baptistery at the west end with an octagonal Caen stone font carved with symbols of the evangelists. The south aisle has the Sacred Heart Chapel formed in 1891 with the cenotaph of Fr O'Halloran d.1921. The stone chancel screen is by A W N Pugin, of Caen stone with marble columns supporting three arches.

The high altar of Caen stone was designed by Wardell, possibly with help from Pugin and Myers, and made by Boulton & Swailes. The screen is believed to be one of only four surviving Pugin screens. In 1965, the painting was covered with what is thought to be masonry paint.

The ceiling of the chancel above the altar is made up of 36 panels bearing monograms of Mary. The votive lamp shaped like a boat was given by Sir Stuart Knill, designed by Pugin and made by John Hardman. The statue of the Virgin with Child is designed by A W N Pugin and carved by George Myers.

Music and liturgy

The singing is accompanied on the church's two manual and full pedal board 'Eminent' organ with 31 speaking stops. The chancel has a five-light traceried east window with Pugin glass made by Hardman. The south east chapel dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament has a panelled waggon roof stencilled with circles and quatrefoils and a carved cornice with Latin inscriptions.

Visiting

The church is open most days for visits, prayers and services. Eight information stands are placed around the church, and a guide is available. A repository stocked with religious items is available. A 3D tour of the church is available.