The Vineyard Life Church, Richmond
The Vineyard Life Church, Richmond was formed in 2013 as the result of a merger between Richmond Borough Church and The Vineyard Church, Richmond. It meets in a 19th-century church located at The Vineyard, Richmond in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, next to St Elizabeth of Portugal Church. The building also houses the Vineyard Community Centre which in turn hosts the Richmond Food Bank, The Vineyard Charity Shop and The Basement Door – a music venue for young people.
The Vineyard Life Church, Richmond | |
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Location | The Vineyard, Richmond TW10 6AQ |
Country | United Kingdom |
Denomination | Evangelical/Charismatic |
Website | www |
Architecture | |
Architect(s) | John Davies[1] |
Style | Norman |
Specifications | |
Materials | grey brick[1] |
History
The church building, with a gallery, was designed by John Davies (1796–1865), and opened in 1831, to seat a congregation of 500 to 600.[2] It was rebuilt in 1851 after a fire. The church is built in Norman style, in grey brick, with a distinctive porch.
Harold Wilson attended The Vineyard Church with his wife Mary during his term in office as British Prime Minister, and Lady Stansgate, mother of the Labour MP Tony Benn, was a parishioner during the 1940s.[3]
Between 1971 and 1972, future British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his friend Al Collenette held weekly discos at the church.[3][4]
References
- Cherry, Bridget and Pevsner, Nikolaus (1983). The Buildings of England – London 2: South. London: Penguin Books. p. 519. ISBN 0 14 0710 47 7.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
- Orr, Stephen. "The Vineyard, Richmond: An Online History for residents, their families and friends". Retrieved 18 January 2013.
- Jones, Helen (8 May 2001). "Church archives reveal a Vineyard of history". Richmond and Twickenham Times. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- English, Rebecca (6 March 2004). "Tony Flare: The Shaggy-Haired Guy Behind The Spacematic Disco". Nostalgia Central (originally published in the Daily Mail (UK)). Retrieved 13 August 2012.