Churches of the British Isles

The site was acquired by the Catholic Church in 1884. The foundation stone for the cathedral, which was to serve as the most senior Catholic church in Britain, was laid in 1895 and the building was designed in the Early Christian Byzantine style by the Victorian architect John Francis Bentley. The work was completed in 1903 and the cathedral dedicated to the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The amazing interior of the cathedral remains incomplete to this day.

St Andrew Ashley Place stood between Ashley Place and Victoria Street, close to the corner of Carlisle Place. The silver office block seen here, probably built in the sixties, occupies the site today, on the southern side of Victoria Street, a stone's throw from Victoria Railway Station. The church was built in 1856 and gained its own parish in 1876. Closed in 1946 (probably due to bomb damage), it was demolished and its parish united to St Peter, Eaton Square in 1953.

Salvation Army Citadel, Rochester Row is squeezed between taller buildings on the southern side of the street, opposite the entrance to Willow Place. Just when the citadel was built is unknown, but a date around 1910 may not be too wide of the mark. The citadel also provides a home for the 'Centre', a drop-in for homeless and vulnerable people, also known as Rochester Row Day Centre. A brass ensemble from Regent Hall played in 2010 for an open-air meeting neaby.

St James the Less Pimlico occupies a well-hidden site on the south-west side of Vauxhall Bridge Road, opposite the entrance to Osbert Street. The rear entrance is onto Thorndike Street (formerly Upper Garden Street). The church was opened in 1862, built to the designs of G E Street of the Royal Artillery. The edifice was founded by the daughters of the late bishop of Gloucester and Bristol (Dr Monk) as a memorial to their father, who was also a canon of Westminster Abbey.

The church is constructed of brick, with dressings of stone, marble, and alabaster, and it consists of a nave, side aisles, a semi-circular apse, and a lofty tower and spire. The roof of the chancel is groined, and is a combination of brick and stone. The interior is elaborately detailed. The chancel is surrounded by screens of brass and iron, and over the chancel arch is a well-executed fresco. Since 1961, the church has been surrounded by the Lillington Gardens estate.

Holy Trinity Vauxhall Bridge Road stood on the south-west side of Vauxhall Bridge Road, opposite John Islip Street. The church was built in 1849-1852 to designs by J L Pearson on land donated by Thomas Cubitt. Also known as Holy Trinity Bessborough Gardens, it was burnt out by enemy bombing during the Second World War. Closed in 1953 it was demolished a year later. Its parish was united with St James the Less (above) and the site is now Bessborough Gardens.

St Saviour Pimlico stands on the south-east corner of Lupus Street and St George's Square in Pimlico. This Anglo-Catholic church was constructed between 1863-1864 to a design by Thomas Cundy (who was also responsible for St Gabriel's). The build was part of Thomas Cubitt's development of the area on behalf of the marquis of Westminster. The Gothic church was built in ragstone to emphasise the contrast with the classical stucco of its secular neighbours.

The foundation stone was laid on 16 June 1863. It has a spire which is just under fifty-two metres in height, making it one of the tallest in London. The present organ was installed in 1871, and the church was heavily restored in 1882, which saw the galleries removed, the arcade work added to the sanctuary, and stained glass fitted to the east window (shown in the previous photo). A clock was added to the tower in 1895, and today the church is Grade II listed.

Holy Apostles Catholic Church sits on the southern side of Winchester Street, just a few metres south-east of the junction with Sussex Street. Although in the heart of London, Pimlico was built only relatively late. Holy Apostles began life as a chapel of ease in the former Claverton Street Methodist Chapel from 1917. This was destroyed by bombing in 1941 and initially after the war there was some trouble in gaining a new site, until the present one was built upon in 1957.

All photos on this page by P L Kessler.