Friday, May 10, 2013

Royal Garrison Church Woolwich

The Italianate style church dedicated to St. George was built by Thomas Henry Wyatt in 1863-67. It became a Royal Garrison church in 1928.


 

Apse detail from sometime before 1944

The church was severely damaged by bombing in July 1944 and it had to be partly demolished. The apse containing the Salviati mosaic (commissioned by Burke and Co.) of St. George and the dragon surrounded by panels with ornamental motifs has survived. 


The remaining structure is currently undergoing a full restoration thanks to a substantial grant in 2011 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.




Mosaic details


Ornamental design around one of the two memorial tablets listing Victoria Cross recipients from the Royal Regiment of Artillery.


Architect's rendering of the new canopy for the apse containing the mosaics.

Additional mosaics found in the remaining structure showing a Phoenix rising and a peacock, which are noticeably different in tesserae shape and placement from the St. George composition, may have been added by Burke and Co. in 1903.

In 1870, Salviati made a mosaic designed by Edward Poynter featuring another St. George for the central lobby of Parliament.

Sources:
Heritage Lottery Fund
Barr, Sheldon. Venetian Glass Mosaics: 1860-1917. London: Antique Collectors' Club, 2008. 137.
e-Shooters Hill 
e-Shooters Marvellous Mosaics
The Times of London
Steve Hunnisett's flickr Photostream
This is Local London
Didimendum1's flickr Photostream
English Heritage

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