The Church of St Alban the Martyr
This page is part of our project "Revealing St Alban's Hidden Heritage" supported by a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to players of The National Lottery.
The present Church of St Alban the Martyr is actually the third of that name in the parish. Opened in 1881, it repalced an earlier church opened in 1871 on the corner of Dymoke Street and Leopold Street, which was then renamed St Columba's continuing in use as a Mission Chapel
You can find out about the first Mission Church opened in 1865 here: St Alban's Mission Church.
You can find out about the Second Church opened in 1871 here: The first 'Permanent' Church.
The site for the church, on the corner of Conybere Street and Stanhope Street (which was called Ryland Street until 1881) was bought in 1877.
At this time the Building Committee was expecting to erect a church designed by William Butterworth, the well-known Gothic Revival architect of All Saints, Margaret Street in London and Keble College in Oxford. Butterfield had been first asked to provide designs to improve, then enlarge, and finally replace the existing church on the corner of Dymoke Street and Stanhope Street. The minutes of a meeting on the 16th of September 1875 include: “It was resolved that Mr Pollock be authorised to confer with Mr Butterfield as to the future alterations of St Alban's Church” and at a meeting on the 29th of December: “Resolved that Mr Middlemore be instructed to write to Mr Butterfield asking for Plans of proposed Alterations to S. Alban's Church.”
Both resolutions refer to alterations to the 1871 Church on the corner of Leopold Street and Dymoke Street – it seems that a completely new church on a new site was not yet envisaged, despite the notification that had been given to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners of the possibility that a new church would be built for the parish instead of upgrading the existing one to meet their requirements.
[This page is under development]