GreaterLondonWESTDULWICHAllSaints(mattbrownCC-BY-2.0)1 MattBrown

All Saints

All Saints rose from the ashes, literally; the church was gutted by a fire in June 2000.

West Dulwich, Greater London

Opening times

Sorry, there are no regular opening times for this church.

Address

Lovelace Road
West Dulwich
Greater London
SE21 8LY

All Saints rose from the ashes, literally; the church was gutted by a fire in June 2000.

With only the towering Victorian walls left standing, the ruined building was open to the sky. The church opened again at Easter 2006, its walls and pillars deliberately left showing the scars of the flames.

All Saints was started in Croxted Road in 1877 to serve a Dulwich population which was increasing as the railways expanded. It was a 'tin tabernacle', a corrugated iron building of a type much favoured by Victorians for temporary churches and chapels and could hold 700 people.

But it was not enough to keep pace with growth in the area. George Fellowes Prynne, who was to go on to design Colombo Cathedral in Sri Lanka, was engaged as architect for a new All Saints.

In October 1888 the foundation stone was laid for the present building, which stands at the junction of Rosendale and Lovelace Roads. The church opened in October 1891.

The money was too little to pay for Prynne’s design for the west end of the church. That was never completed, giving the huge building a truncated, unfinished look.

In the Second World War, the crypt at All Saints was used as an air raid shelter. Most services were also held there in the Blitz, for safety and because the crypt’s windows could be easily blacked out.

In June 1944 a V-1 flying bomb landed near All Saints at the junction of Rosendale and Lovelace Roads, killing at least four people, destroying or damaging more than 25 houses and shattering the church’s stained glass windows at the east end. All Saints roof was also damaged and the crypt continued to be used for services until the church was repaired in 1951.

The crypt was used again for services after the fire of 2000. When All Saints reopened, the congregation found inside the old walls a church transformed.

Its dark gothic interior has been opened up and flooded with light. At the east end, straight in front of the choir and congregation, is a direct reminder of All Saints journey through fire: a cross made of charred beams from the old roof.

  • Spectacular stained glass

  • Magnificent memorials

  • Glorious furnishings

  • Enchanting atmosphere

  • Captivating architecture

  • Walkers & cyclists welcome

  • Space to secure your bike

  • Parking within 250m

  • On street parking at church

  • Level access to the main areas

  • Dog friendly

  • Accessible toilets nearby

  • Church of England

Contact information

Other nearby churches

St Luke

West Norwood, Greater London

St Margaret the Queen

Streatham Hill, Greater London

A beautiful Arts & Crafts style building restructured as 'a place for everyone' in the community.

All Saints

Clapham Park, Greater London

We are a lively and diverse community in the heart of Clapham Park.