St Paul's, Onslow Square

St Paul's, Onslow Square
Map
51°29′30″N 0°10′29″W / 51.4916°N 0.1746°W / 51.4916; -0.1746
LocationOnslow Square, London
CountryUnited Kingdom
DenominationChurch of England
ChurchmanshipEvangelical
Websitehttps://www.htb.org/onslow-square-services
Architecture
Architect(s)James Edmeston
Years built1860
Administration
DioceseLondon
Episcopal areaKensington
ArchdeaconryMiddlesex
DeaneryChelsea
ParishHoly Trinity Brompton with St Paul's, Onslow Square and St Augustine's, South Kensington
Clergy
Vicar(s)Archie Coates
Curate(s)

St Paul's, Onslow Square (known as HTB Onslow Square), is a Grade II listed Anglican church in Onslow Square, South Kensington, London, England. The church was built in 1860, and the architect was James Edmeston.[1][2] Composer William Carter was appointed organist at the church in 1868.[3] Hanmer William Webb-Peploe (1837–1923), the evangelical clergyman, and member of the Holiness Movement, was the vicar for 43 years from 1876 to 1919.[4]

In the late 1970s, the parish of Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) merged with the neighbouring parish of St Paul's, Onslow Square. St Paul's was declared redundant. An attempt by the Diocese of London to sell the building for private redevelopment was thwarted in the early 1980s when local residents joined with churchgoers to save the church. In the late 1980s, the Parochial Church Council requested that the redundancy be overturned which allowed curate Nicky Lee and his wife Sila to plant a congregation there as well as undertake some building structural maintenance work.[5]

In 1997, the congregation at St Paul's divided into three, with some going with curate Stuart Lees to plant a church in Fulham; others returning to HTB with Nicky and Sila Lee; and others forming the St Paul's Anglican Fellowship and remaining based at St Paul's with John Peters. This last group left in 2002 to plant into St Mary's, Bryanston Square.

During 2007, after plans by HTB to rebuild the 1960s offices were withdrawn following difficulty in getting support from local residents, HTB decided to undertake some renovations and to resume services in the church. St Paul's launched 9 am and 6 pm services in September 2007[6] and followed with an 11 am service on 20 January 2008[7] and a 4 pm service on 28 September 2009.[8] In December 2009 the upstairs balcony was recommissioned for worship, having previously been used for administrative offices (the office occupants having moved to HTB's nearby office building purchased in 2008[9][10]).

The church holds services at 10.30 am, 4.30 pm and 6.30 pm every Sunday.[11]

  1. ^ "Holy Trinity Brompton History". Holy Trinity Brompton. 24 December 2009.
  2. ^ Historic England. "CHURCH OF ST PAUL, ONSLOW SQUARE SW7 (1357132)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  3. ^ W. B. Henshaw (2003). "William Carter". Biographical Dictionary of the Organ. Bardon Music. Retrieved 7 November 2023.(subscription required)
  4. ^ I. T. Foster, ‘Peploe, Hanmer William Webb- (1837–1923)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 3 Oct 2016
  5. ^ "Development & RDS Director's Seminar" (PDF). Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  6. ^ "Sunday worship resumes at St. Paul's". Holy Trinity Brompton. 12 July 2007. Archived from the original on 20 August 2008.
  7. ^ "St Paul's gets ready for 11 am service". Holy Trinity Brompton. 18 January 2008. Archived from the original on 20 August 2008.
  8. ^ "4pm service launched at St Pauls". Holy Trinity Brompton. 24 December 2009.
  9. ^ "Alpha Charity Buys London Office Building". Holy Trinity Brompton. 29 February 2012. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013.
  10. ^ "Builders move in to new offices on Cromwell Road". Alphafriends. 29 February 2012.
  11. ^ "HTB Onslow Square". www.htb.org.uk. Retrieved 16 March 2019.