Inventory Site Record

St Stephen's Church was built in 1867 when new parishes were created in the large parish of Kensington to serve the growing population, as house development accelerated. A small area of the church garden is publicly accessible along Southwell Street with gravel, flower beds and a number of trees. A stone seat was installed here in memory of Susan Sadleir (d.1991). A further area of garden to the south of the church is not publicly accessible, where a Church Room has been built and the trees here have Tree Preservation Orders.

Site location:

Southwell Gardens/Gloucester Road

Postcode:

SW7 4RL

What 3 Words:

unless.trades.prom

Type of site:

Churchyard

Borough:

Kensington & Chelsea

Open to public?

Partially

Opening times:

access to area adjoining Southwell Gardens unrestricted

Special conditions:

Facilities:

Events:

Public transport:

Tube: Gloucester Road (Piccadilly, Circle, District). Bus: 49, 74

Citymapper    
Google Map    
streetmap.co.uk

Research updated:

01/04/2012

Last minor changes:

19/07/2023

Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. www.saint-stephen.org.uk

By the mid C19th the parish of Kensington covered a large area, the population of which had grown considerably with the rapid acceleration of house building. In 1863 the vicar of Kensington, the Revd John Sinclair, decided to establish new parishes to serve these new congregations, and the parish of St Stephen was created to serve the area around Cromwell and Gloucester Roads. Initially an iron mission church was provided in 1866, its site opposite Gloucester Road station. A permanent church, St Stephen's, was built in 1867 designed by Joseph Peacock, 'a particularly successful picturesque composition with the small scale elements giving an Arts and Crafts Gothic character' (Conservation Area Policy Statement). The church has a memorial to the American poet TS Eliot (1888-1965), who was a church warden at St Stephen for 25 years, and worshiped here until his death. Born in St Louis, Missouri, Eliot had come to London in 1914.

Sources consulted:

RBKC De Vere, Kensington Court and Cornwall CA Proposals Statement (c1985); History on church website

Grid ref:

TQ261789 (526180,178970)

Size in hectares:

Site ownership:

Church of England

Site management:

Church

Date(s):

1860

Designer(s):

Listed structures:

LBII: St Stephen's Church

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:

De Vere, Kensington Court and Cornwall

Tree Preservation Order:

Yes - group TPO

Nature Conservation Area:

No

Green Belt:

No

Metropolitan Open Land:

No

Special Policy Area:

No

Other LA designation:

None