OLD CHRISTCHLRCH —I St Saviour’s Church, Sydenham

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32014, 14 June 1969, Page 5

OLD CHRISTCHLRCH —I St Saviour’s Church, Sydenham

(Specially written for "The Press" by J. A. HENDRY,

F.N.Z.1.A.) The old St Saviour’s Church in Brougham Street. Sydenham, was opened on November 1, 1877, by Bishop Harper. This charming timber building is one of a complex of church, vicarage and hall, which served the Anglican communion in the populous Sydenham area, Beckenham and Cashmere Hills.

Later two other churches were built, St Augustine’s Cashmere (now in its own parish), and the Mission Church of St Philips, Beckenham.

Alas, with the encroachmen*' of light industry and commercial interests, population dwindled to such an extent that instead of being centered in the Sydenham area, St Saviour’s finished up on the outskirts, and even in danger of being engulfed. In order that parishioners might be served properly, the vestry and members of the parish—now known as that of Sydenham-Beckenham —decided to abandon this site and caused a new church to be built several blocks nearer the hills. Bold Projections Old St Saviour’s, probably designed by C. W. Mountfort, clearly shows the planning in its structure, the high central gable being over the main aisle and nave seating with secondary seating and side aisles under the lower leanto roofs. Porches and vestries project boldly from the main structure, emphatically marking their purposes, while an apsidal projection with tall windows at the east end marks the sanctuary. The good lines, pleasant proportions, telling detail and lack of frills mark this building as one of Mountfort’s successes, where simplicity and dignity have been combined to good effect. Externally, the wall cladding is in vertical boarding covered with simply moulded battens cutting on to bold string mouldings of Gothic profile. The slim lancet windows have diamond paved leaded glass of a soft green tint, as do the diomer lights in the roof. They also have trefoil shaped barge boards slightly fretted which add interest to the clay tiles of the roof, whose gable ends are also finished in clay tile finials, roughly shaped as poppy heads. Surmounting the roof is a small timber belfry sheathed in metal which is a fitting finish to the west end with its tall five-light window. Perhaps the boldest designing is found in the porches, built of heavy timbers yet suggesting lightness due to the open sides and front which contrast well with the main bulk of the church. Internally, the atmosphere is pleasant, rather dim, With heavy timber columns supporting scissors trusses and the high pitched stained timber roof. The side aisles

[are buttressed from the main columns, the low pitch forming a good foil to the high central area. Tongue and groove wall linings are painted cream above a stained dado line. Sanctuary and chancel raised on steps are quite impressive, although a side chapel to the right and the

i former choir vestry to the - left are defined by rather too i light timber screens, one I pierced, the other filled in ‘ with solid panels. Much care 1 was given to detail in this area; windows having bold I mouldings and long slender - timber columns masking the ! mullons; the sanctuary arch ; springing from coupled

! columns seated on well dei signed corbels and under the i springing of the sanctuary roof a carved frieze of grapes ' and vine, painted and gilded i pulpit, lecture, part stained A general air of chunkiness ■ is discernable in the furnishi ings, the seats being quite elei gant but heavy, as indeed are . the Communion rails and new frontals. Bereft of its organ, now in Christchurch College, glass and brasses (all in the new church) it looks rather dull and worn yet still beautiful. Some 14 vicars have been incumbents of this parish, the first being the Rev. H. Bromley Cocks and the last, the Rev. J. F. Ellis, who is also the first vicar in charge of the new St Saviour’s.