What if I told you that the unassuming St Nicholas, Loughton we see today is not the original? The original parish church of St Nicholas stood closer to Loughton Hall. It was a charming structure with a nave, chancel, north aisle, south porch, and a weather-boarded tower topped with a shingled spire. This St Nicholas witnessed centuries of Loughton’s history. It even housed a chapel dedicated to Our Lady, as requested in John Stoner’s will in 1540. His son, George, later chose the ‘new chapel’ for his final resting place in 1558, likely referring to the chapel at the aisle’s east end. However, with the growth of Loughton village, the secluded location of St Nicholas near the hall became a concern. The new church of St. John the Baptist was built in 1846 closer to the bustling heart of Loughton. Sadly, the old St Nicholas was deemed too costly to maintain and was mostly demolished, with the materials auctioned off, a decision that later historians like William Chapman Waller would deem an act of vandalism. Today, what we know as St Nicholas, Loughton is a chapel built in 1877 slightly west of its predecessor, a quiet echo of the original place of worship that once stood proudly beside Loughton Hall.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to