Emmanuel Parish Church, Leyton

The Emmanuel Parish Church, Leyton is a Grade II listed Church of England parish church in Lea Bridge Road, Leyton, in Greater London.

Emmanuel Parish Church, Leyton
View of the western end of Emmanuel Church
Location	251 Lea Bridge Road, Leyton, London, E17 8HL
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Website	http://www.emmanuelleyton.org/
History
Status	Active
Dedication	Emmanuel
Dedicated	1935
Architecture
Functional status	Parish church
Heritage designation	Grade II listed
Designated	24 February 1987
Architect(s)	Martin Travers and T. F. W. Grant
Style	Stripped perpendicular Gothic
Years built	1934-35
Administration
Archdeaconry	West Ham
Diocese	Chelmsford

History

The origins of the church began in about 1902, when mission services began to be held in Sybourn Street elementary school under the auspices of All Saints parish church in Capworth Street, Leyton. Subsequently, a plot of land in Bloxhall Road at the junction with Lea Bridge Road was donated for a church by the property developer Sir Courtenay Warner, whose Warner Estate housing dominated the area. In 1906 a temporary brick church (now the church hall), designed by E. C. Frere, was opened, and in 1920 Emmanuel became a mission district. In June 1934, the foundation stone was laid for a new permanent church to be built alongside the temporary one, to the design of Martin Travers and T. F. W. Grant.[1] The new church was consecrated on 20 April 1935.[2] A separate ecclesiastical parish was formed for the church in the same year.[1]

Interior of Emmanuel Church looking east.

Description

The exterior is of red brick in a style described as "simple Tudor" or "vernacular Gothic".[3] The ground plan is rectangular, 89 feet (27 m) in length, consisting of a nave with two aisles. The north aisle ends in a side chapel while the narrower south aisle which is next to the main road was built without windows to reduce traffic noise. The short chancel is at the same height as the nave, so that the roof is continuous along the length of the building. The planned capacity was for a congregation of 336 plus seating for the choir and clergy. The main door is at the west end which gives entry under a gallery. A cupola included in the original design was omitted through lack of funds[2] Much of the church furniture, including the reredos, altar rail and font were designed by the architect.[4]

References

1. Powell, W. R., ed. (1973). A History of the County of Essex: Volume 6. London: Victoria County History. pp. 214–223. ISBN 978-0197227190.
2. Travers, Martin (1934). "Short Description of the Church of Emmanuel". www.emmanuelleyton.org. Emmanuel Parish Church Leyton. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
3. Cherry, Bridget; O'Brien, Charles; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2005). London 5: East. New Haven CT and London: Yale University Press. p. 727. ISBN 978-0300107012.
4. Historic England, "Parish Church of Emmanuel (1065593)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 3 December 2020