All Saints Tower Receives Grant for Repairs

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Tower is Fulham's oldest, built in 1440

Help is on the way for the tower of All Saints Fulham, which is in need of urgent repairs.

The church’s congregation recently received the good news that All Saints has been awarded a grant of £89,000 from the Repair Grants for Places of Worship scheme administered by English Heritage and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Holding a superb set of period bells, the tower is both the oldest and highest church tower in Fulham. Built in 1440 using Kentish stone, records show that Henry VI’s officers kept trying to intercept the stone, brought up the river from Maidstone, for the construction of Eton College.

In addition to housing the bells, the tower also served as a school where children from the Middle Ages sat with their slates.

However, hundreds of years of glorious bell ringing have taken their toll on the ancient tower walls where urgent works are needed to rejoin the corners that are coming apart at the top and replace loose mortar.

Churchwarden Dr. John Barrett is heading up a special committee at All Saints to plan and oversee the repairs.

The Reverend Joe Hawes, Vicar at All Saints says: " This is real cause for celebration as there is a very high demand for grants. We welcome both the investment of the Heritage Lottery Fund and the expertise of English Heritage.

"This award is an important milestone in our ongoing efforts to safeguard our historic church for future generations of our community."

All Saints' tower also has another claim to fame. It was famously featured in the horror film the Omen, when the crazed priest Father Brennan, played by Patrick Troughton, was spiked while walking through Bishop's Park by the lightning conductor on the top!