The classical splendour of a Kensington Chapel

Allen Street in Kensington is lined with a remarkable collection of buildings. Mansion blocks in red brick and terrace houses in white stucco, displaying a mix of Arts & Crafts, interwar and contemporary architecture. But perhaps the most striking building is the classical temple midway down the street, with walls of yellow Bath stone and a grand portico evoking all the splendours of the ancient world.

This building belongs to the United Reformed Church. It opened in 1855 when it was known as the Congregationalist Church. However, its history dates back to the Georgian Era, when the growing popularity of Protestant sects transformed society and religion in England.

The Congregationalist Church descends from the seventeenth-century Puritans. These were a strict Protestant sect who emerged in Britain in the aftermath of the Reformation. Early followers were known as Independents, and their most famous member was Oliver Cromwell.

Hostility from the establishment Church of England pushed many Puritans to leave the country for Holland or America – in particular, the Pilgrim Fathers who sailed on the Mayflower. But, during the Evangelical Revival of the eighteenth century, these independent or ‘nonconformist’ churches found new congregations among the industrial cities of Wales, the Midlands and the North.

In 1831, the Congregational Union of England and Wales was established, uniting many of these independent churches. By this point, the Congregationalist community in Kensington had their own chapel on Hornton Street, but as this suburb grew larger, they began looking for a new place of worship.

During the Victorian period, members of the growing middle classes also joined the independent churches. Because traditional professions were still reserved for Anglicans, nonconformists were often merchants, tradesmen and the owners of small businesses. Their branch of Christianity emphasised hard work and sober living, which helped contribute to their prosperity.

During the Victorian period, members of the growing middle classes also joined the independent churches. Because traditional professions were still reserved for Anglicans, nonconformists were often merchants, tradesmen and the owners of small businesses. Their branch of Christianity emphasised hard work and sober living, which helped contribute to their prosperity.

The congregation in Kensington decided to build a church that demonstrated their newfound status. A large site on Allen Street was purchased from the Phillimore estate and the architect Andrew Trimen was commissioned to design the chapel. He proposed an impressive Corinthian façade with a pillared portico and carved entablature, as well as pilasters at the edges and along the side.

The foundation stone was laid on 26th June 1854 and the first service was held the following May. Inside, there was space for 1000 worshippers, with serried seats on the ground floor and a gallery circling three sides of the first floor. The classical theme was also preserved, with geometric patterns on the cornice and the gallery parapet.

This classical design was intended to distinguish the chapel from the Gothic Revival style popular with Anglican places of worship. It also suggested that members of the Church had stripped away outdated superstitions: this was the architecture of a modern and Enlightened middle class.

Protestants emphasised the words of the Bible over rituals like the mass. Instead of an altar, the Congregationalist Church in Kensington featured an exceptionally high pulpit. Furthermore, the pastor John Stoughton was so celebrated for his preaching that, by 1871, each seat in the church was full on Sundays, with ‘several persons of literary eminence and professional distinction’ among the congregation.

Singing was still allowed in the chapel and a pipe organ was installed behind the pulpit. This was damaged in the Second World War when the building was hit during the Blitz. The church had to be abandoned, with the congregation only returning in 1958, when the new organ was placed in the west gallery. Meanwhile, the halls, meeting rooms and minister’s accommodation at the back of the building were also updated.

Over the course of the last century, church attendance has declined – especially for nonconformists. Now, it’s common for Methodist and Baptist places of worship to be converted into homes, offices or social venues. Sure enough, the chapel regularly hosts musical performances – but on weekends the members of the local community still gather for Sunday morning worship. The crowds may be thinner than before, but they are part of a long line of Protestant worshippers in this neighbourhood and a special piece of history on this unique Kensington street.

Take a look at this exquisitely stylish five-bedroom family home that is just next door to the Kensington United Reformed Church.