CADOGAN STREET, CHELSEA
Introduction
The school Chapel within the St Thomas More Language College is recorded by Historic England [1] as follows:
St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School - School and chapel 1844
Probably Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin. Yellow brick, stone dressings. Pitched slate roof to eaves. Two storey, 7-bay wing parallel to road, with advanced chapel wing to left, bearing date. Two towers with pyramidal roof at intersection. Main block with 4-light Tudor windows and door to each side with Tudor arch Left hand wing with lancets, 2light Geometrical window to road. Wall to playground in front somewhat rebuilt, but original Tudor-arched entrance.
This Chapel, originally part of the St Joseph’s Convent of Our Lady of Mercy, was built thanks to the benevolence of Joseph and Mary Knight, local Catholics Their gift of £5000 to the Church facilitated the purchase of the former Wellington Cricket Ground, in Chelsea with the intention of establishing a Catholic foundation consisting of a church, convent, almshouses and cemetery. Renamed Cadogan Street and Draycott Terrace, the original foundation buildings although altered and adapted, are clearly recognisable.
The Chapel
St Joseph’s Convent was built with adjoining schools on either side. Over time these two schools have evolved into St Joseph’s Primary School, for pupils aged 3 – 11 years old and St Thomas More Language College, a secondary school for pupils aged 11 – 16 years old. It should be noted that contrary to the Historic England listing, the Chapel has been absorbed into St Thomas More Language College and not St Joseph’s.
Both schools are members of the Saint John Southworth Catholic Academy Trust. In addition to the two schools in Chelsea, the Trust consists of four further primary schools, St Augustine’s RC Primary School, Fulham, St John XXIII, White City and St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Maida Vale, Our Lady of Victories RC Primary School, Kensington and another secondary school, The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, Holland Park. The Trust is led by the Catholic Executive Officer, Paul Stubbings.
ORNATE TRACERY
Features
Pugin favoured intricate stone tracery, often seen in delicate window tracery or ornamental screens, adding a sense of detail and craftsmanship to his designs
POINTED WINDOWS
Windows were normally pointed which enabled them to be larger and higher than curved-arch windows
POLYCHROMY
Pugin believed in the use of polychromy, or the application of multiple colours, to recreate the vibrant and richly adorned interiors of medieval buildings
RIBBED VAULTS
Pugin frequently incorporated ribbed vaulting, which created a sense of height and structural stability while adding a dramatic visual effect
Shrewsbury Cathedral Similarities
The exact design of the flowers in the borders in decorations within the Chapel have been discovered in the recent restoration work on Shrewsbury Cathedral sanctuary, which was also designed by Augustin Pugin
The Chapel of the St Joseph’s Convent of Our Lady of Mercy
The Chapel of the St Joseph’s Convent of Our Lady of Mercy
Renovation Proposals
FUTURE PLANS FOR THE CHAPEL
Initially a convent chapel and now a school chapel and always overshadowed by the far larger parish church of St Mary’s, the Chapel has for much of its history been hidden from view. This has in some respects been a blessing in that it has been subjected to minimal remodelling but equally as part of a state school, facing considerable budgetary pressures, understandably maintenance and renovation of the Chapel has not been a priority.
However, the Chapel has been integral to the Catholic life of this area and particularly to the Catholic education that pupils at both schools receive. Collective worship plays a vital role in the spiritual life of our school The celebration of Mass brings the school community together, fostering unity and cohesion.
The Pugin architecture not only brings alive the beauty of the liturgy, but it is also a key part of the evangelisation of young Catholics today, helping them to feel comfortable and at ease in Church The 2012 Census of Catholic Schools and Colleges undertaken by the Catholic Education Service for England and Wales, documented that for the first time the number of children enrolled in Catholic education had overtaken the number of people regularly attending weekly Mass. Attendance at Mass in a beautiful Chapel allows pupils to develop their faith, recognise the space and tranquillity offered by a Chapel and allow them to recognise and find familiarity in the liturgical calendar.
The Saint John Southworth Catholic Academy Trust is keen to sympathetically renovate the Chapel returning it to the heart of both schools and the wider community of Chelsea. This intention is part of a wider project that involves the replacement of the roof of not simply the Chapel but also the original convent and adjoining school buildings. Whilst the surveys of the roof have been completed a detailed restoration survey of the Chapel has yet to be undertaken.
