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Inventory Site Record

St Andrew Bobola Churchyard (Hammersmith & Fulham)

Brief Description

St Andrew Bobola was originally built in 1870 as St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, a stone church designed by Edmund Woodthorpe. In 1961 it was converted by A P Klecki to serve the Polish Roman Catholic community. The small churchyard has a few evergreen trees, the main feature being the many low dark brick walls set with copper memorial plaques.

Practical Information
Previous / Other name:
St Andrew's Presbyterian Church
Site location:
Leysfield Road, Shepherds Bush
Postcode:
W12 9JF
What 3 Words:
fast.blaze.robots
Type of site:
Churchyard
Borough:
Hammersmith & Fulham
Open to public?
Yes
Opening times:
closed at night
Special conditions:
Facilities:
Events:
Public transport:
Tube: Goldhawk Road (Hammersmith & City. Stamford Brook (District). Bus: 266, 94, 237
Research updated:
01/04/2004
Last minor changes:
19/07/2023

Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. www.rcdow.org.uk/polishchurch; www.stbobola.co.uk

Full Site Description

Hammersmith has become the main centre in London for the Polish community in London, which grew particularly after WWI and WWII. St Andrew Bobola (1591-1657) was a Polish missionary of the Society of Jesus, who was brutally tortured and killed on 16 May 1657 during the Khmelnytsky Uprising, when he was captured in the village of Peredil, Lithuania by the Cossacks of Chmielnicki. When his body was discovered in the C18th it was found to be undecomposed, a sign of holiness. He was declared Blessed by Pius IX in 1853, and later canonized by Pope Pius XI on 17 April 1938. Since 16 May 2002 Andrew Bobola has been a patron saint of Poland and the Archdiocese of Warsaw.

Sources consulted:

LB Hammersmith & Fulham 'Ravenscourt & Starch Green Conservation Area Character Profile', 1999

Further Information (Planning and Conservation)
Grid ref:
TQ224794 (522400,179460)
Size in hectares:
Site ownership:
Roman Catholic Church, Diocese of Westminster
Site management:
Roman Catholic Church
Date(s):
1870, 1961
Designer(s):
Edmund Woodthorpe (1870), A P Klecki (1961)
Listed structures:
Local list: St Andrew Bobola
On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens:

No
Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965:

No
Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931:

No

Local Authority Data

The information below is taken from the relevant Local Authority's planning legislation, which was correct at the time of research but may have been amended in the interim. Please check with the Local Authority for latest planning information.

On Local List:
No
In Conservation Area:
Yes
Conservation Area name:
Ravenscourt & Starch Green
Tree Preservation Order:
No
Nature Conservation Area:
No
Green Belt:
No
Metropolitan Open Land:
No
Special Policy Area:
No
Other LA designation:
None

Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.