Building    From 1880  To 1991

St Alphege, Southwark

Categories: Religion

In 1880 the church of St Alphege was built on the eastern corner of the junction of Lancaster Street and King James Street. It was dedicated in 1882. Post WW2 it went into decline and was declared redundant in 1983. In 1986 the interior of the church was used to film a TV episode of Only Fools and Horses. Demolished in 1991.

The congregation moved to the old church's hall nearby in King's Bench Street, where, 2015, it continues to worship. This hall also has a frontage in Rushworth Street, number 50, which is clearly of c.1930 in design but the King's Bench Street elevation is earlier. The buildings to the north of the hall are the former clergy house, now the oratory and rented out flats. From Edith's Streets we think this double-fronted hall was designed in 1910 by William Bucknall.

2022: We were pleased to receive some additional information about the old church hall from Trevor Warr: "I thought you might be interested to know that the upper floor of the old church hall was a photographic studio in the 1970s. It was run by a photographer called Roy Wales and I worked there for several years. We entered our studio from the other side (Rushworth Street). The interior layout for the floor we were on was quite odd with differing levels, a stage and a tunnel that ran under the floor to two small rooms at the end. It was quite low and you had to duck to walk along it. I have no idea what purpose it served. The ground floor was still for church use and, apparently was a British Kitchen during WW2 to help feed those who had lost their homes due to the bombing. The building next door, to the west, was a convent at the time. The current occupiers of the hall from the Rushworth St. side are a film and theatre costumiers. The building on the King's Bench Street front is named the Modern House."

Everyone loves a hidden tunnel. For more see William Lyttle, the Mole man.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
St Alphege, Southwark

Commemorated ati

Earl St Germans

The feast of St Alphege is 19 April, which in 1880 was a Monday. He was Arch...

Read More

Other Subjects

Mother Kate

Mother Kate

Mother Superior of St Saviours Priory at the time that the community moved from East Grinstead onto the Dunloe Street site, in 1866. When she died in 1923 a memorial fund was created to help comple...

Person, Religion, Social Welfare

1 memorial
Rodney Smith

Rodney Smith

Evangelist. Born in a gipsy tent in Epping Forest, Wanstead. He began to hawk clothes pegs and tinware made by his father and became known as 'The Singing Gipsy Boy' because of his eagerness to sin...

Person, Religion, USA

1 memorial
Christ Church Spitalfields - alterations

Christ Church Spitalfields - alterations

Wikipedia says the works were done in 1850 but the church's own website confirms the date in the plaque and seems to say that all the Victorian alterations were undone ("a restoration of the church...

Event, Property, Religion

1 memorial
The Venerable Francis William Harvey

The Venerable Francis William Harvey

Archdeacon of London in 1979. Francis William Harvey was born on 28 September 1930, the son of Frank Harvey (b.1899) and Clara Annie Harvey née Prince (1906-1990). His birth was registered in the ...

Person, Religion

1 memorial
Desiderius Erasmus

Desiderius Erasmus

Catholic priest, social critic, teacher, and theologian. Born Rotterdam, date approximate. First visited London in 1499 and often stayed with Thomas More in Chelsea, a friend for over 30 years.

Person, Religion, Seriously Famous, Netherlands

3 memorials