ALL SAINTS

Land from Hainault Forest was set aside for a large church with spire but the cost to build it was deemed too expensive. The first rector at All Saints, Reverend Laurence, was installed in 1860 before the church was built. Architect J. P. Seddon revised the plans and a smaller church without a tower or spire was built in 1867 at a cost of £4,000. It was made of brick and faced with Godalming stone. The walls were three feet thick. A tower was added in 1903 at a cost of nearly £3000. The Whitechapel Bell Foundry installed a peal of six bells in 1910 and two more in 1928. This postcard sent in 1904 had the following message: "Dear E. I hope you are still getting on nicely. I thought I should like to send you our church with its new tower. With love from Pollie."

Saintly faces gracing the walls of the church.

The church was consecrated in 1867.

The altar window shows heaven based on the Book of Revelation with God sitting on his throne.

Stained glass windows depicting the life of Jesus.

Uniquely patterned columns in a style appearing much older than they actually are.

On 23th October 1918, Lieut. Claude Handley Trotter, stationed at Hainault Farm aerodrome, crashed his Sopwith Camel E5147 after being blinded by a searchlight. At his funeral service a flag-covered coffin passed servicemen performing a gun salute of honour outside the church. A memorial propeller and plaque have been placed inside the church to his memory. Sopwith Camels actually had two-bladed propellers similar to that shown on the model in the picture. Per ardua ad astra translates as 'Towards the Stars'.

During Victorian times many parishioners used muddy paths and roads when walking to church. Boot-scrapers placed outside the church enabled them to clean their boots before entering.

Article and photographs by Raymond Small © 2017