All Hallows Church Gardens

I recently mentioned the former Blackwing studio in Southwark (used by Yazoo and many others), based in the converted All Hallows Church on the corner of Copperfield Street and Pepper Street, SE1.

I went to visit the site this week and was surprized to find a hidden gem of a little garden, open to the public, where people were relaxing in the sun.






















According to Southwark Cathedral: 'The original All Hallows Church was built to a design by George Gilbert Scott junior in 1879-80. The building was gutted during the Second World War, and only the northern part (the Lady Chapel) was incorporated into a new church by T.F.Ford in 1957".

The disused 1950s church building - which housed the recording studio in the 1980s - is not particularly impressive, but there are some remains around the garden, which is actually where the nave of the old church stood. The site is owned by Southwark Cathedral who have had plans to sell off the site of the building to be replaced with new flats (while leaving the garden) - the latest plans were refused planning permission early last year.

The plan of the site shows that it includes a disused crypt, as well as the 1950s church, church hall and remains of the original church.