St_Luke's_Church,_Kew

St Luke's Church, Kew

St Luke's Church, Kew

Church in Richmond , United Kingdom

St Luke's Church, Kew, is a parish church in Kew, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is part of the Church of England and the Anglican Communion and, locally, is a member of Churches Together in Kew.[2] Together with St Philip and All Saints (the Barn Church), it is one of two parishes within the united benefice of Kew, St Philip & All Saints with St Luke. Its vicar, Rev Dr Melanie Harrington, took up the role in June 2021.[3] The church, built in the Gothic Revival style by architects Goldie, Child and Goldie,[4] is also host to the Kew Community Trust and acts as a community centre.[5]

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Communications

The parish publishes a magazine, The Link.[6]

History

Kew's population increased considerably when the District line was extended to Richmond and a railway station was opened at Kew Gardens. To meet the needs of the extended parish, a temporary "iron church" (later Victoria & St John's Working Men's Club) was opened in Sandycombe Road. St Luke's Church, in The Avenue, was built to replace it, in 1889.[7]

The large Victorian church, whose initial design plans included a spire that was never built,[7] now has a small tower (accommodating a lift).[7] This was added in 1983 when St Luke's was redesigned to create a smaller space for Christian worship in the former chancel area and to enable the former nave, and a second hall constructed in a loft conversion, to be used for community purposes also.[5][8][9]

Former Liberal Party chairman Timothy Beaumont, Baron Beaumont of Whitley, was priest in charge from 1986 to 1991.[10]

Other uses

The community spaces in the building are currently occupied by the Kew Community Trust. The core activity of the Trust is the Avenue Club, a non-profit making social centre offering a range of recreational activities for the whole community.[5][11]

See also

References

  1. [1]
    "Kew: St Luke". The Diocese of Southwark. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  2. [2]
    "Our Member Churches". Churches Together in Kew. Retrieved 5 June 2015.
  3. [3]
    "Welcome to new clergy Feb 2021". Richmond and Barnes Deanery. 25 February 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  4. [4]
    Bridget Cherry; Nikolaus Pevsner (1983). The Buildings of England – London 2: South. London: Penguin Books. p. 504. ISBN 0-14-0710-47-7.
  5. [5]
    Michael Lowe (March 2017). "Kew Community Trust and the Avenue Club. How we made it to here…..and where next?". Avenue Cub, Kew. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  6. [7]
    David Blomfield (1994). Kew Past. Chichester, Sussex: Phillimore & Co Ltd. p. 100. ISBN 0-85033-923-5.
  7. [8]
    Stephen Craven (2009). "St Luke's Church, Kew – chancel". Geograph Britain and Ireland. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  8. [9]
    "About Us". St Luke's Church, Kew. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  9. [10]
    "Obituary: The Rev Lord Beaumont of Whitley". The Daily Telegraph. London. 11 April 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  10. [11]
    "Avenue Club, Kew". Avenue Club, Kew. Retrieved 27 March 2015.

51.4739°N 0.2891°W / 51.4739; -0.2891
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