St Philip's Church 70th Anniversary
St Philip's Church 70th Anniversary
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A hundred years ago the land now occupied by St Philip's church was a field at the north western corner of Field Farm, Chaddesden. The footpath between Derby and Stanley crossed the top of the field, the hedge beyond marked the parish boundary and beyond that was Breadsall parish. The hedge at the west end of the field marked another boundary that between Field Farm and Roe Farm.
Chaddesden Hall was still standing. Only a few years earlier, its estate had been broken up and sold off to multiple purchasers. Although a few houses had been built on a new road known as Chaddesden Park Road, it seemed that the rural way of life would continue in Chaddesden for years to come.
West of Chaddesden in the Borough of Derby, the land around Beaufort and Cowsley Houses had been bought by Derby Corporation and their Building Works Department had started construction of a housing estate the Homes for Heroes that had been promised after the Great War and part of a plan to re-house Derby's slum dwellers.
Construction of Cowsley Estate proceeded rapidly; by 1927 houses had reached the borough boundary at Cornwall Street and Derby Corporation was looking for more building land to meet the growing demand for council houses. The sudden increase in population on the east side of Derby led to an increase in attendance at the small corrugated iron church at the corner of St Mark's Road and Francis Street. There were occasions when so many turned up for Sunday services that the church was full and latecomers could not get in.
A site for a larger church was found nearby on Francis Street. It had been shunned by house builders because of a deep dip in the ground which had been used by local residents as a dump for household rubbish. A lot of earth moving, together with a high retaining wall on the Essex Street boundary, was needed to make a level site.
St Mark's church from a picture postcard, probably late 1940s. Designed by the Derby architects,
Naylor, Sale and Widdows, and based on a framework of reinforced concrete,
although that is not apparent from the exterior which is clad in thin bricks,
popular in the 1930s, and roofed with hand-made red clay tiles.
The new St Mark's church was completed 90 years ago, the first service being the dedication by the Archdeacon of Derby on Wednesday 18 December 1935. It was good timing as the population of the area was about to be increased by Roe Farm Estate, the first houses being occupied in July 1936.
After a break during the Great Depression of 1930-31, there was a boom in house building in Chaddesden during the late 1930s. Roe Farm was bought by Derby Corporation as the site for an estate of 1400 houses. Field Farm was bought by the developer, Max Nepolski, as the site for an estate of houses to rent. It is thought that the estate plan for Roe Farm included space for a church on the north side of Sussex Circus but the outbreak of war stopped construction of both estates with 710 houses having been built on each.
After the war, a site for a new church to serve both estates was bought from Derby Corporation which resulted in another change to the estate plan. Greenwood Avenue, which had been planned to run through to Taddington Road, was truncated at a right angled junction with Brailsford Road. A new ecclesiastical parish of St Philip, Chaddesden was created in 1954 from parts of St Mary, Chaddesden, St Mark, Derby and All Saints, Breadsall parishes. One of the parishioners was the Bishop of Derby, whose house was off Mansfield Road at Breadsall Hilltop. The Bishop's house was demolished in 1970. Bishops Drive and a group of Oakwood streets with church themed names remind us of a former resident.
In 1954 a young priest, Jeremy Wootton, moved into a house at (No 1?) Taddington Road to begin his ministry. Bishop Rawlinson, then Bishop of Derby, arranged for a wooden, ex-Army hut to be erected to serve as a meeting place for the faithful. Together with men from the Tenants' Association, Father Wootton worked hard to decorate the building and get it ready for worship. The first Eucharist was held in 'The Hut' on Sunday 7 November 1954 when six people attended. Services took place in this building while the church was under construction in 1955.
The architect for the new church, Mr S W Milburn of Sunderland, had previously designed St Francis of Assisi Church at Mackworth. He seems to have taken inspiration from St Mark's as the roof is supported similarly, by a series of reinforced concrete arches. Design of the reinforced concrete work was sub-contracted to Twisteel Reinforcement Ltd, then best known for barrel vault roofing including station platform canopies on London Transport Central Line Western extension (1949). Their work at St Philip's included the slender tower, 60 feet (19m) high. As with St Mark's, the extensive use of reinforced concrete is not apparent from the exterior which has the appearance of limestone but is actually concrete "Davie Blocks" made at a quarry near Bakewell. Opinions are divided about the suitability of a building material that was intended to suit the requirements of the Peak Park Planning Board being used in Derby where stone buildings are rare. The only stone buildings in Chaddesden are St Mary's church and the gatehouse and chapels at Nottingham Road Cemetery.
Local industries were generous in their response to requests for monies and donated large sums. Together with a Diocesan grant the total reached £25,000. With this money available it was agreed that work could begin and there was great faith that, with prayer and hard work, the remainder of the money required could be raised as the church was being built.
Laying of the Foundation Stone
On Sunday, 21 November 1954 just before 3 o'clock a large crowd gathered on the rising ground around the site for the new church building. A large green canopy supported by four upright poles protected the participants from the biting wind. Choirs from St. Mary's, Chaddesden, St. Mark's, Derby, and All Saints', Breadsall, under the direction of Mr. H.W. Burton the organist and choirmaster of St. Mark's, assisted with music for the service.
The Duke of Devonshire lays the foundation stone with Bishop Rawlinson in attendance.
The foundation stone may be seen near the north west corner of the church although the inscription is
hard to read after 70 years exposure to the weather.
The plain concrete of the reverse side of a few Davie Blocks can be seen in this view.
The photographer had probably set up his camera and tripod on the scaffolding on the far side
of the church and used a lens with a long focal length. The resultant foreshortening makes a street light
and the top deck of a passing bus appear to be really close.
After the ceremony the Priest-in-Charge, Rev Wootton, led the congregation back to the hut for refreshments and speeches. Everyone was thrilled when the Duke of Devonshire, in his speech, asked permission to make an endowment to the church from monies at his disposal in order to strengthen his family ties with the area. Now there was less than £2000 to be raised to meet the cost of building the church.
These two photographs were probably taken in spring 1955 to show the partly built church.
The south west wing (Sacristy and Lady Chapel) is already complete to roof level and work is
well advanced on the west end with all four roof arches completed.
The lower photo shows the mould in place for casting the first of four reinforced concrete
supports for the roof at the east end, Note the container which was probably used to carry
concrete mixed on site to pour into the mould. The hoist for lifting the container can be seen
in the upper photo.
Two wooden purlins resting on the arches show the final slope of the roof.
The partly built vicarage can be seen on the extreme left. Both church and vicarage were built
by the the Derby firm of Gee, Walker and Slater.
The north side of the church shortly after completion. The mortar courses between blocks
are clearly visible; they have weathered over the years and are now less obtrusive, giving the
effect of a limestone rubble wall. The window frames are reinforced concrete. Some nearby
houses have similar concrete window frames.
St Philip's is one of two churches in Derbyshire with towers separate from the main building of the church, the other being St Bartholomew, Hallam Fields (closed since 1969). Unlike St Bartholomew, where the tower is a later addition, St Philip's was like this from new. The slender tower is constructed from reinforced concrete surrounded by an outer wall of concrete blocks. Some people have likened it to a factory chimney or fire station tower! It is seen in its original form, open at the top, before the installation of louvres, the crosses and mobile phone aerials.
In keeping with its modern setting the church was not built in the traditional cruciform shape of earlier English churches but as a simple rectangular building. Unusually the sanctuary and altar are placed at the west end of the building.
The main entrance doors of the church open into a porch faced with the same Davie stone as the exterior. In the porch is the entrance to the tower with a vertical ladder to give access to the top. The tower houses the church's single bell which was rescued from Derwent church submerged beneath the Ladybower Reservoir. It is rung before the start of services.
Double doors lead from the porch into the nave of the church. The interior is light and airy with a high ceiling. The walls are painted in a light colour to give a feeling of simplicity and the eyes are drawn upwards to the exposed dark beams of the roof.
Originally the church was designed as a dual-purpose building with a screen which could be folded across to separate the church and sanctuary area from the parish room area. The whole building was originally lit by bulbs mounted upon circular 'cartwheels' suspended from the roof by long chains. These lights, which needed major acrobatic feats every time a bulb needed changing, have long since been replaced by modern led lights. The screen has been removed and the building is unequivocally a church.
A local man, Mr Anthony Knight of Winster Road, was involved in the plastering of the interior of the church. Unlike most plastering jobs where the plasterers are expected to produce as smooth as finish as possible, Mr Knight recalls how they were ordered to produce a very rough finish to give the church a feeling of age so that it should not look too modern and new. In effect the plastering emulated the finish found inside many Peak District cottages.
The Consecration of St Philip's
Rev Alfred Conway (left), then Vicar of St Edmund, Allenton was appointed as
the first vicar. The church was completed in time for Christmas 1955
and consecrated on Saturday 17 December at 3pm by the Assistant Bishop
of Derby, the Rt. Rev George Sinker. The Duke of Devonshire who had made
an endowment to the church upon laying the foundation stone was present
to see the new church opened. Other distinguished guests present at the
ceremony included the Sheriff of Derbyshire, Captain Davie, and the Deputy Mayor of
Derby, Coun Lings and Mrs Lings.
The service was preceded by an outdoor procession of at least 18 robed clergy led by Bishop Sinker and including the Archdeacons of Derby and Chesterfield and the Rural Deans of Derby, Melbourne, and Ilkeston.
When the procession reached the door of the church it halted and the Bishop used his pastoral staff to knock three times upon the outer door. The doors were opened and the keys were presented to the Bishop and then placed upon the altar.
The procession entered the church led by the Bishop, first of all to the font and then to the lectern, the pulpit and the aumbry (where sacred objects are kept) where he blessed each one separately. At last the procession reached the altar and it was consecrated for worship. The bare altar was then vested and the ornaments were placed in position. Finally the Sentence of Consecration was read by the Diocesan Registrar, Mr H.S.Rees.
Many of the choristers who sang at the service came from Father Conway's previous church, St Edmund's at Allenton. Mr S Long and Mr S Adams took office as the very first churchwardens. The Church of St Philip's was set to meet the needs of its parishioners for many years to come.
Group photo possibly taken outside the Vicarage door with a box camera immediately after
the consecration. Father Conway is at the front of the group.
The vicarage was completed in August 1955 in the same style as the church.
Apart from the later addition of a non-matching porch, it would blend well into a village
in the Peak District.
An aerial view of the church taken early in 1956. There is a lack of trees in what
had been a farmer's field less than twenty years earlier. The church is only just
completed; some of the scaffolding has not been removed from the south side and
there is a builders' shed on the Ashover Road boundary. The dark coloured building
near the Brailsford Road boundary is The Hut which served as a church hall for many
years after its original use as a church had ended. The large single storey building between
Greenwood Avenue and Wollaton Road is the original Co-op store opened on 6 October 1952.
A Corporation Transport bus on route 70 stands at the Wollaton Road terminus.
An aerial view taken in 1978 showing the tower still open at the top and the
original pedestrian entrance paths, one to each porch door. The Hut has been removed to
the scout camp site at Drum Hill; it was still there in 2018. It was replaced by a
collection of buildings on the south side of the church. The flower beds in the
lawns on the north side were cut out by Wilf Barson in 1967-68. The present
church hall was built in 1997 along with a car park accessed from Taddington Road.
The land occupied by the previous church halls and some of the vicarage garden were
sold as the site for Ashover Close.
The Davie Block
Chaddesden residents may be familiar with the Stanley concrete block, produced in quarries at Stanley and Little Eaton between about 1925 and 1938, and seen in houses on Morley Road, Meadow Lane, Albert Road, Stanley Road and elsewhere in Chaddesden.
The Davie block is the same width as the Stanley block 2 bricks / 46 centimetres / 18 inches and the same height - 3 bricks / 23 cm / 9 in. The blocks differ in thickness and in the material from which they are made. Stanley blocks are the same width as height so a single course of blockwork is equivalent to the inner and outer walls of a house, the blocks are hollow to give the effect of a cavity wall, and they are made of relatively soft stone. The Stanley block has a low compressive strength and is not used in buildings higher than two storeys. The Davie block is 14cm / 5½in thick and intended to be used in the outer wall of a cavity wall, the inner being of plain concrete block or, as at St Philip's, red brick. The blocks are solid, very solid, being made from limestone quarry waste set in concrete made of crushed chert which is a hard form of limestone that includes quartz crystals.
Humphrey Bache Christopher Davie lived at Stanton Hall, Stanton-in-Peak. Among many posts held, he was High Sheriff of Derbyshire and the owner of Smith's Runners Ltd, Holme Bank chert mine near Bakewell. The concrete blocks bearing his name were made at a factory adjacent to the mine.
The blockwork at St Philip's includes quarter, half and three-quarter length blocks which would have been made in the factory because the blocks are so hard as to be nearly impossible to cut. Drilling the blocks is a challenge as the writer and many others have found. There is a tungsten carbide tip from a masonry drill bit embedded in the porch wall. It will be there until the day that the church is demolished!
Davie blocks were extensively used in house building in the Peak District following the creation of the Peak Park Planning Board in 1951 and their edict that new buildings should be made of local materials (not red brick). Their use outside the National Park is rare. St Philip's is the only church built with Davie blocks, and is both the largest such building and the tallest.
Two photos of the derelict Davie block factory at Holme Bank taken in 2012.
The roof supports are columns of concrete blocks.
Credits
Text by Peter Barnes incorporating extracts from "The Parish Church of St Philip, Chaddesden - A Celebration of Forty Years of Parish Life" written by Anne Sherwood for the 40th anniversary in 1995. Photographs are from the church's collection except for the photo of St Mark's church which is from the Chaddesden Historical Group collection, the vicarage was photographed by Peter Barnes and the two photos of the Davie block factory are by Ashley Dace, reproduced subject to a Creative Commons 2.0 CC-BY-SA licence.
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