Christ Church (Congregational), Kennington Rd/Westminster Bridge Road, Kennington

Also known as Lincoln Memorial Tower. The original design was by E C Robins, subsequently adapted by Paull and Bickerdike Tower remains, the rest now demolished for church and office block

Illustrated at the Royal Academy 1873 and 1875 - “Messrs Paull and Bickerdike send a large Nonconformist church which can hardly be considered a satisfactory contribution to modern church architecture.” [Building News 16 May 1873 Page 571 Report on Royal Academy Exhibits]

This memorial stone / of / Christ Church / [perpetuation of Surrey Chapel] / was laid June 26, 1873 /by /Samuel Morley M.P. / 'Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone'. / Newman Hall LLB pastor. J. Perry & Co builders. H.J.Paull FRIBA, Alfred Bickerdike, architects."

 MR NEWMAN HALL'S NEW CHURCH—Mr. Samuel Morley, M.P., laid the foundation stone on Friday afternoon of Mr. Newman Hall's new church, in perpetuation of Surrey Chapel. The building, which is to be called Christ Church, will occupy a position at the junction of the Westminster-bridge and Kennington roads. The main building will rise irregular octagonal centre of 55 feet internal span, but will possess a tower and spire 24 feet square the base, and 220 feet high to the top of the vane. The church will accommodate 2,500 people. It is estimated to cost £25,000, of which £13,500 was subscribed to Friday. Messrs. Paull and Bickerdike are the architects. [West Briton and Cornwalll Advertiser 3 July 1873 page 3]

Mr. Samuel Morley, M.P., laid the foundation stone yesterday afternoon of Mr. Newman Hall's new church, in perpetuation of Surrey Chapel. The building, which is to be called Christ Church, will occupy a position at the junction of the Westminster Bridge and Kennington roads. The site is triangular in form, and occupies 2,680 superficial yards. The main building will rise as an irregular octagonal centre of 55 feet internal span, bat will possess a tower and spire 24 feet square at the base, and 220 feet high to the top of the vane. The church will accommodate 2,500 people. It is estimated to cost £25,000, of which £13,500 was subscribed up to yesterday. Messrs. Paull and Bickerdike are the architects. After the laying of the stone, 221 purses, each containing £5, were laid upon it. Like Surrey Chapel, the new church will not be formally connected with the Established Church or with the Congregational Union, though Mr. Newman Hall is himself a member of the latter body. The Church of England Liturgy will be used, and the pulpit will be open to conforming and nonconforming clergymen alike. [Pall Mall Gazette 27 June 1873 page 6]

REV. NEWMAN HALL‘S NEW CHURCH OR CHAPEL AT LAMBETH - Messrs Paull and Bickerdike’s design for the Rev. Newman Hall‘s new church or chapel at Lambeth shows a large group of buildings, consisting, we presume, of chapel, vestries, and schools, With a lofty tower and spire at the extreme angle. We confess that we cannot admire the general design, and the grouping, considering what might have been done, is poor and ineffective. The whole design is, as a rule, pretentious and commonplace; the general arrangement shows the church in the form of a Greek cross, with not quite equal arms, an immense octagon centre, and an almost detached tower and spire - which, to our mind, are the. best features of the design - at the angle of one of the arms of the cross; a long open cloister joins the chapel to the school, which latter building is much more simple and better in design than the rest of the work. The alternate bays of the octagon, where not taken up by the cross wings, are filled in with poorly designed double triplet windows, of Geometrical character; the ends of the cross have large five-light windows with Geometrical tracery, and look altogether too large for the gables; the tower would be improved by the omission of some of the lower and centre windows, which cut it up too much, otherwise this part of the building has some good points, which lead us to regret the utterly unequal character of the rest of the work. The roof of the centre octagon, and open timber bell-turret, with its thin unmeaning flying buttresses, are positively ugly; and, altogether, we cannot congratulate Mr. Hall on the result of a competition which, from its importance, and the amount of money to be expended, made some stir at the time. The drawing. too, is cold and unartistic, and this may, perhaps, to a certain extent, militate against the design, which we hope the authors will modify in parts in carrying it out. [The Architect 10 May 1873 page 244]

Reference    Builder 26 July 1873 Page 596 (Tenders)
Reference    The Architect 10 May 1873 page 244 – Architecture at the Royal Academy