Modern Britain

St Michael's Mission Church is on the south side of Rutland Road, close to Katherine Road. It was the second of three missions opened by St Stephen's Green Street (see links). Services were initially held in 1895 in Saxby Villas, Red Post Lane (now Katherine Road). An iron church opened next to the present site in 1898 and was replaced by this building in 1912. It closed post-war and by 2013 was in use as the Greek Orthodox Church of St Lazarus & St Andrew.

Hope Baptist Chapel is on the northern side of Stafford Road, close to the junction with Katherine Road. It was founded by two Strict Baptist London ministers as Ebenezer Chapel in 1889, with a site on nearby Ferndale Road. In 1902 two rooms in Red Post Lane (now Katherine Road) were registered for worship, and these were used until 1906, when Hope was opened. A primary school hall was built in 1939, with an upper storey being added in 1950.

Manor Park Spiritualist Church is on Shrewsbury Road, at the south-eastern corner with Strone Road. An iron building was erected here in 1897 by the Free Church, dedicated as St Stephen's Reformed Episcopal Church (not to be confused with St Stephen's Green Street (see links)). It apparently survived until 1909 when it passed to Spiritualists. The present building was registered in 1940 and additional members probably came from the 1903 Temperance Hall meeting.

St Edmund King & Martyr Forest Gate stood at the south-east corner of Halley Road and Katherine Road. The Red Post Lane mission district was formed in 1895, and a temporary church erected. A new parish was established in 1901 when this church opened. The building was completed in 1932 by the addition of the clerestory. Since 1988 the building next door (to the right) has been used as the parish office and chapel, while the original building was demolished.

Barclay Hall (Quakers) stands at the north-west corner of Green Street and St George's Road. It was founded by the Bedford Institute Association in 1900 with an iron building. Within a year it became a hive of various religious, social, and educational activities, and another building was added. In 1902 it became a full mission church. In 1906 a permanent brick building was opened - to be bought by the borough council in 1948 as an adult education and social centre.

Ridley Christian Centre (London City Mission) is on Upton Road, at the north-western corner with Dunbar Road in West Ham. The London City Mission had two centres in West Ham in 1903, one being North Street Centre, Stratford (probably North Place on the High Street which closed after 1926), and Balaam Street Centre in Plaistow. Balaam Street closed at some point after 1930. In 1914 it also had the Goodwill Mission in Plaistow (see links) which still survives.

St Matthew's Church West Ham, stands at the north-west corner of Vaughan Road and Dyson Road. It originated around 1891 with the opening of a mission to serve the Romford Road and West Ham Park area. The present flint-and-brick building was completed in 1896, and a separate parish was formed in 1897. Around 1900 the church opened a mission in Vicarage Lane. This was destroyed by Second World War bombing and the site's sale was authorised in 1951.

Upton Lane Primitive Methodist Church stood at the north-eastern corner of Upton Lane and Doris Road in Forest Gate (at the centre of this aerial view of around 2008-2010). It began around 1889 with meetings held by R S Blair. The church building was erected in 1892. By 1940 it was part of the West Ham circuit but closed soon after, merging with Field Road United Methodist Church (see links). The building was used by industry until demolition in 2011-2012.

St Antony of Padua Catholic Church occupies the south-west corner of St Antony's Road (formerly Khedive Road) and Lancaster Road in West Ham. It was not until 1884 that the Forest Gate parish was established, to be served by the Franciscans, when the foundation stone was laid. By 1891 it, St Bonaventure's School, and the friary buildings were completed to the design of Pugin & Pugin. The church is of yellow brick with lancet windows in the Early English style.

Nine photos on this page by P L Kessler.