ALL SAINTS MARGARET STREET

All Saints Margaret Street - Restoration Appeal

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We are very grateful for your support.

2009 will be the 150th anniversary of the consecration of All Saints. Our intention is to complete the restoration of this wonderful building in time for that celebration. All Saints is not just a great building, it is a living and working church. It stands open every day to serve not only its congregation but the thousands of people who come to this part of London for work, education, healthcare, shopping and recreation. Our forebears have given us this wonderful place. It is now our responsibility to care for it and continue the mission they began.

The Conservation Management Plan is available for downloading by clicking below:

Conservation Plan (pdf)

Please scroll to the bottom of this page to find out how you can donate online

What Needs To Be Done

1. Nave ceiling - £150,000

The nave ceiling was decorated by William Butterfield, the original architect, to unite the design of the roof space with all that goes below it. This was lost in the 1960s when the design
was overpainted, but recent investigations have revealed that Butterfield’s schemes were not removed.

We can therefore recreate the design as it was in 1895. The work will allow us to regain the balance of the interior, as the roof will have its correct weight and scale in relation to the interior
as a whole. Some plaster and timber will also
need to be repaired during work in this area.

2. Wall surfaces - £520,000

The nave walls are complex surfaces, almost entirely covered with tiles. They are now  covered in thick dirt, which obscures their colour and darkens the church interior. More crucially, the dirt also seeps below the surface and if not removed can permanently alter the tile and cause damage. By removing the dirt we will reveal a bright interior with colour that relates to the stained glass windows.

There is also much incised mastic decoration on the walls which has been over painted. The decoration was originally used by Butterfield to unite different elements such as glass and tile – a device that keeps the eye moving across the internal surfaces to create unity within a visually dynamic space. After they have been cleaned, all the surfaces will be conservation-treated to prevent future dirt penetration.

The chancel is less dirty than the nave, but it has not been cleaned for 30 years. There is over painting on stone that should be removed. Work to the electrics and lighting in this area will include repairs once old fittings and fixtures have been removed.

3. The floor - £120,000
The floor has to withstand heavy traffic from worshippers and visitors. The thickest pieces of Butterfield’s floor are only 3/4” thick. In places the stone is now wafer thin and the tiles are close to wearing out completely. The bedding of the floor is vulnerable to damage when the surfaces are so thin. Badly damaged areas of tile in the nave will have to
be replaced. The chancel floors are in good condition, but need careful cleaning to remove unsuitable lacquer finishes.

4. The windows - £475,000
Most of the windows need to be completely releaded,
as a matter of urgency. The surrounding stonework
also needs careful repair in places. There is damage
to the tracery caused by hard cement mortar, which
holds moisture and causes the stone itself to disintegrate.
Ferrous glazing bars are also causing decay. The west
window is in a particularly poor state.

5. Heating - £195,000
The heating system needs to be completely renewed. The warm air outlets are inadequate and cause soiling to the tiled walls. A clean efficient system is essential.

6. Lighting and electrics - £420,000
Butterfield introduced electric lighting to the interior in 1895, and contemporary descriptions of it are highly complimentary. The existing lighting is very poor, both functionally and aesthetically. We need a system that is sympathetic to the interior and that can be controlled to suit a wide range of services and functions.

7. Access and facilities - £160,000
Access for wheelchair users is currently difficult. The church is famous for its economic use of the site, and spaces are dovetailed together, making modifications to levels very difficult to achieve. However, as part of the repair and restoration we will use every opportunity to improve access to both the church and crypt, and to provide better toilet facilities in the crypt.

8. The courtyard - £110,000
Improvements to the courtyards are included in the project. These will combine repairs to the walls, railings and lamps around the courtyard with an opportunity to reinstate the lost ironwork screens and redesign the notice boards.

The total - £2,150,000
(including contingencies, fees and applicable VAT for a projected start in late 2007)

To raise such a sum is a major challenge, and your support would be very gratefully received. You can donate to the restoration appeal through this website, using a credit or debit card. You can also set up a regular direct debit. These links take you to a secure site, managed by CAF (Charities Aid Foundation) on our behalf.

To make an online donation using a credit or debit card, please click here

To set up a direct debit, please click here

We are very grateful for your support.