Chelsea Old Church

Chelsea Old Church, also known as All Saints, is an Anglican church on Old Church Street in Chelsea, London, close to Albert Bridge. It belongs to the Diocese of London, part of the Church of England. The Church, a Grade I listed building, holds a memorial plaque to the famous author Henry James, who lived nearby on Cheyne Walk. Although James was buried in Cambridge, Massachusetts, his connection to Chelsea is remembered here. To the west of the Church, a small public garden features a sculpture by the artist Sir Jacob Epstein.

Dating back to 1157, Chelsea Old Church once served as the parish church for Chelsea before London expanded around it. The original building included a 13th-century chancel, with chapels on the north and south sides added around 1325. Later, in 1670, a nave and Tower were constructed. These chapels were private property—Lawrence Chapel to the north belonged to Chelsea's Lord of the Manor, while the south chapel, rebuilt in 1528, was Sir Thomas More's private chapel. The year of reconstruction can still be seen on one of the capitals of the chapel's pillars, which was thought to have been designed by Hans Holbein the Younger. Outside the Church is a More statue by Leslie Cubitt Bevis, which looks out towards the River Thames.

Inside is a 1669 memorial to Lady Jane Cheyne, designed by the son of the famous sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini and carved by Bernini's favourite artist, Antonio Raggi. The Church also contains a collection of chained books—the only Church in London to have them. Sir Hans Sloane (hence Sloane Square), a prominent physician, naturalist, and collector, donated these books. Among the books is the so-called "Vinegar Bible" from 1717, named after a printing error where "vineyard" was mistakenly printed as "vinegar." Other treasures include two volumes of Foxe's "Book of Martyrs", a 1723 edition of the Book of Common Prayer, and a 1683 copy of The Books of Homilies.

In the 19th century, artists such as James McNeill Whistler and J. M. W. Turner often depicted the Church's white-painted Tower in the background of their paintings. An example of this is Whistler's famous Nocturne: Blue and Gold – Old Battersea Bridge, painted between 1872 and 1875, where Chelsea Old Church stands as a distant yet recognizable feature.

Unfortunately, like many buildings in London, Chelsea Old Church was heavily damaged during World War II. On April 14, 1941, a parachute mine destroyed much of the Church and its Tower during the Blitz. Only the Thomas More Chapel was spared. For nearly a decade, services were held in the nearby Cheyne Hospital as the Church lay in ruins.

Restoration began in earnest after the war. In 1950, the Thomas More Chapel was reopened, and the chancel and Lawrence Chapel were restored in May 1954. Architect Walter Godfrey oversaw the work, and in June 1954, the Church was designated a Grade I listed building. By May 1958, the entire Church had been restored to its former glory, and the Bishop of London reconsecrated it in the presence of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. The reconstruction was so meticulous that the Church looked similar to before its bombing, with many of the original tombs, monuments, and stained glass preserved and carefully pieced back together.

In 1978, Jack Leslau proposed a theory that one of the Princes in the Tower, Edward V of England, survived and was buried in Chelsea Old Church. Leslau's theory hinges on his interpretation of a Hans Holbein the Younger painting, though no significant academic institution has supported the claim. Despite the mystery surrounding this idea, the story adds another layer to the history of this centuries-old building.

At first glance, I think the church exterior doesn't represent the building's past. However, the deceptively simple interior (pictured overleaf) seems more in step with this Church's rich history.