Inventory Site Record

Holy Trinity Church Rotherhithe was built between 1837-39 on land provided by the Surrey Commercial Dock Company, at that time quite isolated. It was designed by Sampson Kempthorne, but was destroyed in WWII when the docks were bombed on 7 September 1940, the first church to be destroyed in WWII. A new church was erected in 1957 designed by Thomas Ford, the foundation stone laid by the Bishop of Kingston upon Thames. The churchyard had opened in 1839 and was in use until 1858. In 1885 it was converted by the MPGA into a small public garden. It has a few gravestones by the entrance on Rotherhithe Street and a small WWI memorial obelisk dedicated to those who died in the parish.

Previous / Other name:

Parish Church of Holy Trinity

Site location:

Rotherhithe Street/Bryan Road

Postcode:

SE16

What 3 Words:

noting.gets.those

Type of site:

Public Gardens

Borough:

Southwark

Open to public?

Yes

Opening times:

unrestricted

Special conditions:

Facilities:

Events:

Public transport:

London Overground: Rotherhithe, Surrey Quays then bus. Bus: 225, 381.

Citymapper    
Google Map    
streetmap.co.uk

Research updated:

01/04/2012

Last minor changes:

14/07/2022

Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. www.southwark.gov.uk; www.holy-trinity-rotherhithe.org.uk

To the south of the new church is a circular path with a central grassed bed and raised bank behind retaining wall with memorials. The main garden area has a few trees among grass and to the east it abuts Trinity School and Trinity Hall, founded as Trinity National School in 1836 by the Revd Edward Blick. The school had survived the bombing and services were held here until 1959 when the new church was built. In the church is a mural by Hans Feibuch, a Jewish-born German artist who came to England to escape Nazi Germany in 1933, whose work was exhibited and subsequently destroyed in the Nazi exhibition of Decadent Art in 1937. He completed around 40 murals before his eyesight failed in the 1970s, including a Crucifixion at St John's, Waterloo Road (q.v.).

Sources consulted:

Ron Woollacott, 'Southwark's Burying Places, Past and Present', Magdala Terrace Nunhead Local History publication, 2001; Bridget Cherry & Nikolaus Pevsner, The Buildings of England: London 2: South (Penguin) 1999; History on Holy Trinity Church website

Grid ref:

TQ365797 (536509,179782)

Size in hectares:

0.522

Site ownership:

LB Southwark

Site management:

Parks

Date(s):

1839; 1885

Designer(s):

Listed structures:

None

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:

No

Tree Preservation Order:

Not known

Nature Conservation Area:

No

Green Belt:

No

Metropolitan Open Land:

No

Special Policy Area:

No

Other LA designation:

Churchyard, Tier Three. Regeneration Area