St George’s Garrison Church, Woolwich (Phase 1) - London Historic Buildings Trust

St George's Garrison Church, Woolwich (Phase 1)

Team

Project Costs

St George’s Garrison Church, Woolwich, was built between 1862 and 1863 as the chapel for the Royal Regiment of Artillery. It was commissioned by Lord Herbert, the Secretary of State for War, and based on designs by T.H. Wyatt, who was also responsible for Wilton parish church, commissioned by Herbert’s relatives, the Pembrokes. Both churches are striking for their Italianate style and elaborate internal decoration.

In 1944 St George’s was severely damaged by a V1 flying bomb. Parts of the building fabric survived, including some memorials and the mosaic panels in the east end, created in Venice in the workshop of Antonio Salvati.

The church remained roofless for decades, its fine decorative features deteriorating from exposure to pollution and weather. Historic England (formerly English Heritage) added the site to the Heritage at Risk Register in 2000. The Trust was introduced to the MOD and took on the freehold of the site from the Defence Estates in 2011.

In the first phase of the project we developed and delivered a Heritage Lottery Fund (now the National Lottery Heritage Fund) project to build a canopy roof over the east end of the building to prevent further decay and conserve the decorative mosaics.

We also installed toilet and kitchen facilities to allow it to function as a venue for the local Woolwich communities. This work was completed in May 2015. Read about Phase 2.

For more information about visiting or holding your own event at St George’s, please visit the Woolwich Garrison Church Trust website: www.stgeorgeswoolwich.org