Celebrating Our Church and Parish History - Part 1

St. Thomas of Canterbury Church in Woodford Green has a proud and vibrant history at the heart of the local Catholic community. Established in the early 20th century, the church was built to serve the growing number of Catholic families in the area and is named after the martyred Archbishop, St. Thomas Becket. Over the decades, it has grown into a welcoming place of worship, education, and outreach, staying true to its mission of faith and service. Today, it continues to be a spiritual home for parishioners of all ages, rooted in tradition and active in the life of the wider community.

Every week, we will publish interesting historical snippets which have shaped the church as we know it today.

In this series, we will learn more about the church and parish heritage. A big thank you to Adrian Lee for the research and photo's throughout this series.

Church Newsletter History Part 1

7th Sept 

No rest for some. During the Summer of 1895, thanks to builders Goddard & Sons  of Farnham and Woking, our church was steadily rising up from a paddock to the south of a house called The Oaks. Long standing Woodford resident and huntsman Henry Vigne had lived there. This is William Hurrell his "Whipper In" with the dogs in that paddock, approximately where the back half of the church now stands. Hurrell lived in Fern Cottage Mornington Road, and is buried at St Paul's Woodford Bridge. Vigne rests at St Mary's South Woodford.