Church Of St George (German Lutheran Church And Vestry)

ALIE STREET 1. (north-west side) 4431 TQ 3381 14/431 29.12.50 CHURCH OF ST GEORGE German Lutheran Church and vestry

(Formerly listed as ALIE STREET (south-east side)

St George's Lutheran Church and Vestry House attached to Church)

GV II*

German Lutheran Church. 1762-3, founded by Dederich Beckmann, a wealthy sugar boiler; panel of donors dated 1766 on front. Stock brick with slate roof Church a single cell of four bays with balcony on three sides supported on round timber columns, the stairs to which are either side of committee room. Two-storey, one bay vestry at side. Facade symmetrical with doors either side of Venetian window to ground floor and windows either side of Diocletian window above; pediment over. Interior retains complete and original set of pews to ground floor and balconies (a remarkable survival), with high double-decker central pulpit with sounding board set behind altar rails and under coat of arms of George III and two commandment boards (in German) - all original features. At rear boards commemorate donors to the church. Committee room with simple panelling set between balcony stairs with turned baluster open-string stairs, and with painted glass window. The side windows (three per side) with early C19 coloured margin-light glazing; stained glass to windows either side of pulpit. The whole interior a remarkable and complete survival of high-quality traditional craftsmanship. The two room vestry is also of great interest. It is of brown brick with red brick dressings and gauged brick heads. The interior is fully panelled, with cornices and fireplaces. A dog-leg stair leads to the upper room, which has two sliding windows which open by a system of grooves and catches rather than counterweights and sashes.

Listing NGR: TQ3398681235