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Churches of the British Isles

Gallery: Churches of East London

by Peter Kessler, 7 March 2010. Updated 28 September 2010

Redbridge Part 4: Churches of South Woodford

Holy Trinity Church, South Woodford, Redbridge, East London

Holy Trinity Church is at the top end of Hermon Hill, on the corner with South View Drive in South Woodford. Unusually, the church faces north-east to south-west. In 1880, it was decided that South Woodford's rapidly expanding population required an additional parish church. Earl Cowley generously donated the current site on the 'east of Chigwell Road', and a temporary iron church was purchased which had previously served St Michael's, Camden Road in 1879.

Holy Trinity Church, South Woodford, Redbridge, East London

The iron church opened on Sunday 5 March 1882 while construction of the permanent neo-Gothic church in Ancaster stone went on alongside it. On 2 June 1887, the nave was consecrated, with the remainder following on 27 September 1890. It was decided not to complete the tower and spire (visible on the far right here) due to insufficient foundations, and the south aisle was never built, presumably due to a lack of funds. The organ came from St Mary's, Woodford.

Woodford Baptist Church, South Woodford, Redbridge, East London

Woodford Baptist Church is on the south side of George Lane, 110 metres or so to the west of Holy Trinity. A Baptist school-chapel was opened here in 1883, and three years later a minister was settled. In 1895-1896 the present stone church in the thirteenth century style was built in front of the school-chapel, on a plot that was still very open, just before about half the congregation seceded to form the short-lived Eastwood Road Baptist Church nearby (from 1896 until 1903).

Beechcroft Road Church, South Woodford, Redbridge, East London

Beechcroft Road Church is a small building which lies on the northern side of the eponymous road, close to George Lane. A Congregational mission was established in 1870 in a cottage in nearby Victoria Road, and two years later a temporary iron church was erected at the corner of Daisy Road, on the site now occupied by the Salvation Army citadel (see below). A further Congregational mission room was opened here in Beechcroft Road in 1907 and is still in use.

Salvation Army, South Woodford, Redbridge, East London

The Salvation Army citadel sits inside the corner of Daisy Road and Cowslip Road. A Congregational mission was established here in 1872 in a temporary iron church. Though the building was twice enlarged, a bigger one was soon needed and Woodford Congregational Church was founded nearby in 1886 (at the top end of George Lane). The 'tin chapel' was used by the Salvation Army from 1886. They purchased the site in 1906 and built the present brick citadel in 1907.

Latchett Evangelical Church, South Woodford, Redbridge, East London

Latchett Evangelical Church is at the northern end of Cowslip Road and then Mulberry Way, on the corner of Maybank Road and Latchett Road, but divided from the rest of South Woodford by the carriageways of the North Circular. It was started in an iron church by Baptists from the failed Eastwood Road church in 1903 as South Woodford Free Church. This church also failed, in 1920, and the site was taken by the Brethren in 1933. They continue there today.

All photos on this page by P L Kessler.

 

 

     
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