Local Art trail

Since we launched the local Church Art Trail between St Peter's Aldborough Hatch, St John's Seven Kings, St Paul's Goodmayes and All Saints Goodmayes in July 2010, we have discovered more about the artworks which feature on the trail and several new works of art have been placed along the route taken by the trail. Therefore, an updated post detailing the Trail, as it now stands, is needed. 

St Peter's Aldborough Hatch



Et alias oves hab eo (And other sheep I have), sculpture by Anthony Foster depicting Christ as the good shepherd. Foster, who was a pupil of the sculptor Eric Gill sharing Gill’s Roman Catholic faith and commitment to the Distributionist movement, worked in wood and stone and has many Church commissions in the UK.

Crucifixion by Leonard Wyatt has hung above the main doors at St. Peter's since it was purchased by the then Vicar, the Revd Lawrence Pickles, in the late 1950s or early 1960s. The painting was part of an exhibition in the tennis courts at Valentines Park in Central Ilford. The Revd Pickles took members of the St. Peter's congregation to see the painting, including two youngsters who sang in the choir – both of whom continue to be members of St. Peter's to this day. From the moment it was first brought to St. Peter's people have either appreciated or disliked it – for the painting has been the subject of controversy over those 50 or so years. Leonard Wyatt (1922-2008) was born in Forest Gate and trained at the Hornsey College of Art. He joined the Free Painters Group in its very early days and remained an active member until poor health forced his retirement at the turn of the century.

The sculpture of the Woman of Samaria was installed at the West End of the Churchyard in the early 1960s. It bears the inscription ‘Springing up into eternal life (John IV – XIV)’ and the name Rose Jacobs (1882 – 1961). The sculpture is the work of Aberdeen-born artist Thomas Bayliss Huxley-Jones FRBS, ARCA (1908-1969).

The decorated organ originally made for the 1862 London exhibition.

St John the Evangelist Seven Kings

The West window was designed by Derek Hunt and installed in 2005. The theme is “Light of the World” and its design brings together references from St John’s Gospel with elements particular to St John’s.

A Nativity window designed by Louis B. Davis is located below the West window. Louis B. Davis worked for Powell's from 1898 to 1909. He was an important Arts and Crafts stained glass artist. His windows at Dunblane Cathedral, Stirling are stunning, some of the most impressive stained glass I have seen. Davis trained with Christopher Whall, the Arts and Crafts maker and teacher from c. 1893 until he moved to Powell's. St John's also has two other windows from the Powell's or Whitefriars workshop (as does St Paul's Goodmayes) as well as a Nativity window produced by C.E. Kempe & Co. Ltd., a famous Victorian glassworks begun by Charles Eamer Kempe. The window features the company’s trademark tower and wheatsheaf symbol.

Two new mosaics  are being created by Viki Isherwood Metzler for the community garden at St John's Seven Kings. A version of Graffiti Love (above) has been commissioned for the East wall, while a trinitarian design will feature as part of a sculpture in the remembrance area of the garden.

Downshall Primary School

This mural was produced by artist Effie Coe from Invisible Dust, an art and environmental science organisation, and children from Downshall Primary School. During workshops with Effie, the children were asked to create their own imaginary visions of the surrounding streets both now (left) and into the future (right). The original drawings in the coloured blocks and the slogans were produced by the children themselves.

Goodmayes Methodist Church

This mural, which depicts the fruit of the Spirit, was designed for Goodmayes Methodist Church  by students from the graphic design department of Barking College.

St Paul's Goodmayes

St Paul’s features a wealth of stained glass designed by William Morris and Sir Edward Burne-Jones.

Other stained glass includes work by Leonard Evetts, the most prolific British stained artist of the 20th century, as well as pieces from the FaithWorks and Whitefriars studios.

Other works of note at St Paul’s include a Madonna and Child by the contemporary Roman Catholic sculptor, Jane Quail.

The most recent commission is a set of Stations of the Crown of Thorns painted by Henry Shelton, which includes the tryptich shown above.

Millennium Clock Tower

 (Clock Tower, Goodmayes, photograph by Malc McDonald - <div xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" xmlns:dct="http://purl.org/dc/terms/" about="http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2098238"><span property="dct:title">Clock Tower, Goodmayes</span> (<a rel="cc:attributionURL" property="cc:attributionName" href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/profile/44954">Malc McDonald</a>) / <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">CC BY-SA 2.0</a></div>)

Henry Shelton also designed the Millennium Clock Tower at Goodmayes, a project that was initiated by All Saints Goodmayes.



All Saints Goodmayes

The memorial etched glass windows in All Saints, depicting events in the life of Jesus, are again the work of the noted painter of religious art in a contemporary style, Henry Shelton. Shelton is the founder member of commission4mission which aims to encourage the commissioning and placing of contemporary Christian Art in churches, as a means of fundraising for charities and as a mission opportunity for the churches involved.

Creation of the Art Trail was a recommendation in the report produced following a Community Street Audit of Aldborough Road South by the Seven Kings & Newbury Park Resident's Association and the Fitter for Walking project of Living Streets. Printing of the Art Trail leaflets was funded by Living Streets as part of the Fitter for Walking project and copies of the leaflets can now be found in the churches on the Trail. Fitter for Walking helps residents create streets they can be proud of. It is funded by the Big Lottery Fund, along with contributions from local authorities to work in five areas of England. As a result of our recommendation, additional murals are being considered by Area 5 for two additional sites locally.

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Kate Rusby - Walk The Road.