BLACKHEATH

St Martin’s Church designed by Charles Harrison Townsend.

St Martin’s Church, Blackheath.

Charles Harrison Townsend
(13 May 1851 – 26 December 1928) was an English architect

A plan of the church dating from around 1906.

Published in Moderne Bauformen, Monatshefte Für Architektur” Jahrgang V, Heft 11. (Modern Designs, for Architecture Monthly Volume 5, Book 11.)

This was a monthly magazine published by Julius Hoffmann, in Stuttgart, Germany, and edited by M. J. Gradl. Hoffmann. It dates to around 1906 and depicts a truer representation of the church.

This cast iron fireback is in Guildford Museum, it came from the vestry inglenook fireplace when the cottage was converted for use in conjunction with the new St Martins church.

William Chandler Roberts-Austen bought the cottage and site for the building of a new church at Blackheath. He was one of the founding members of the Guildford Society – still going strong today and trying to save old buildings.

The Wealden Iron Research Group point out that, unusually, the fireback has the ropework border all round, whereas it is usually on the top and sides only. These items are very difficult to date, the likelihood is that it is sixteenth century

Blackheath, Children in the Village 1906. Reproduced courtesy of Francis Frith.

Blackheath, the Village 1927. Reproduced courtesy of Francis Frith.

Blackheath Village and the well, 1906. Reproduced courtesy of Francis Frith.

Blackheath, the Village 1955. Reproduced courtesy of Francis Frith.

Blackheath, 1921. Reproduced courtesy of Francis Frith.

A plan of the church dating from around 1906

Blackheath, Church interior 1921. Reproduced courtesy of Francis Frith.

Drawing by Townsend of St Martin's Church - the image is from the Building News October 7, 1892- its title is 'Proposed Mission Chapel at Blackheath'.

Blackheath, the Village Church 1955. Reproduced courtesy of Francis Frith.

St Martin’s Church designed by Charles Harrison Townsend.

1906 Arts and Crafts Exhibition Catalogue Cover

A sketch by Charles Harrison Townsend

Roy & Seth Enticknap building the well in April 2010, ready for the May Bank Holiday Monday festivities.

The well with forget-me-nots, just after completion.

John Young and the Surrey Postcard Society – everyone crammed into the well on the Society’s annual summer walk and at Blackheath. John had found a great number of the postcards that helped me put together the construction drawings for the reconstruction of the well head. The oak posts line up with where the original posts stood and the locally sourced matching bricks are just a continuation of the existing brick lined well. Photograph kindly supplied by Nigel Balchin.

Blackheath, the Cross Roads 1955. Reproduced courtesy of Francis Frith.