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A PROFILE OF THE PARISH OF ST. PAUL
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BUILDINGS St. Paul's
The foundation stone of St. Paul's was laid in 1862 and the church and churchyard were consecrated in July 1864. In 1874 the building underwent a major enlargement with the addition of the north and south aisles. The church was built by a local benefactor, John Walter, the proprietor of The Times newspaper, and was designed by Henry Woodyer of Grafham, near Guildford, in what is today known as 'decorated Victorian Gothic' style.
The Parish Rooms
The building has on the ground floor a large function room together with a large well-equipped kitchen, storage rooms, and toilets. On the first floor is the parish office, further storage, and two meeting rooms. There is parking for approximately 50 cars. St Nicholas House The house is owned by the parish and is situated in Brook Close, a cul-de-sac on the Joel Park Estate in Emmbrook. The house is a four bedroom semi-detached house with garage attached. The accommodation comprises a through lounge, small dining room, kitchen and toilet with shower on the ground floor. The four bedrooms and bathroom are upstairs. The house is fully double-glazed and centrally heated. There is a small sloping front garden. At the rear the garden is secluded and backs onto the railway line. |
The church is located on
the Reading Road about five minutes' walk from the town centre.
seen from all round Wokingham. The building itself is richly decorated with
stained glass windows depicting the life and work of St Paul. A fine 1900 Henry
Jones organ lies at the centre of the musical tradition at St Paul's, and there
is a peal of eight bells, although these were damaged in the fire following a
lightning strike on the spire on 28 January 2004. The bells and spire are
currently being renovated. Inside the church the Blessed Sacrament is reserved
in the aumbry beside the high altar. There is a votive stand before the statue
of Our Lady, and the Stations of the Cross are depicted on ceramic plaques
around the walls.
The church is
surrounded by the churchyard, which covers a considerable area. It has been in
use since the church was consecrated and is still used for burials today. There
is also a specially dedicated Garden of Remembrance, which is for the burial of
ashes. The churchyard is maintained by a group of volunteers. The policy is to
mow some areas less often and thus allow the growth of wild flowers and grasses
as well as maintain a habitat for butterflies and other small creatures.
The Parish Rooms
are two minutes' walk from the Church along the Reading Road. This modern
building was completed and dedicated in 1991. It is widely used by many church
groups and local community organisations and families.