St Alban's Church, Acton Green

St Alban's Church, Acton Green, also called St Alban the Martyr, is a neo-Gothic church on South Parade in west London, where Chiswick meets Acton Green. It was designed by Edward Monson Jr. and opened in 1888. Today it is a Grade II listed building and the main landmark of the Acton Green Conservation Area.

What does the church look like?

The church is built of red brick with stone dressings in a neo-Gothic style, under a steeply pitched slate roof. It has no tower or belfry, so its form is plain, broad and clearly distinct from the terraced houses around it. It stands beside the open green of Acton Green, which makes it easy to see from public space.

How did it come about?

The parish began as a mission run from All Saints' South Acton in 1882, using temporary buildings on Acton Lane near Beaumont Road. The foundation stone was laid on 18 October 1887. Its inscription names the vicar-designate, Rev. George Henley Manbey, the architect, Edward Monson Jr., and the builder, Joseph Dorey. The church opened in 1888 and the parish became independent in 1889.

Who served here?

In the 1920s the vicar was the theologian W. O. E. Oesterley, known for his scholarship on the Old Testament and Jewish literature.

What happened later?

As congregations shrank, the church closed. A plan to convert it into flats followed. In 2011 the proposal was rejected at a public inquiry because the community would have lost a facility for which there was still demand.

In 2014 the Diocese of London invited Christ Church Turnham Green to take on stewardship of the building. After renovation, the Bishop of London, Richard Chartres, rededicated the church on 4 October 2016. It now operates as Christ Church Acton Green.

Frequently asked questions

Where is St Alban's Church? On South Parade in Acton Green, in the Chiswick area of west London.

Who designed it and when did it open? Edward Monson Jr. designed it, and it opened in 1888.

Is it a listed building? Yes, it is Grade II listed and is the main landmark of the Acton Green Conservation Area.

Is the church in use today? Yes. After years of closure it was renovated and rededicated in 2016, and it now operates as Christ Church Acton Green.

Who is it for? Visitors interested in Victorian brick architecture and west London history. A short walk around Acton Green is enough to see the exterior and how it sits beside the green.

Why visit?

It is a Victorian parish church that survived closure and the threat of conversion. Its story shows how the local community and the diocese kept it as a public building rather than turning it into private flats. For many visitors it is a pleasant stop on a walk through Chiswick and the area around Turnham Green.