St Richard, Ham Riverside
St Richard, Ham Riverside
St Richard’s is a Grade II parish church on Ashburnham Road, Ham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, in the Diocese of Southwark, a post-war church built for a new housing estate.
- Location
- Ham Riverside, Surrey
- Country
- England
- County
- Surrey
- City / town
- Ham Riverside
- Address
- Ashburnham Road, Ham Riverside, Surrey, TW10 7NL
- Postcode
- TW10 7NL
- Built
- 1964–66
- Consecrated
- 20 May 1966
- Architect
- Ralph Covell
- Denomination
- Church of England
- Dedication
- Richard
- Diocese
- Southwark
- Parish
- Ham St Richard
- Grade
- II
- Style
- Liturgical Movement
- Materials
- Timber hyperbolic paraboloid roofs with copper covering
- Opening hours
- The church is not left open when it is not in use but access can be arranged by contacting the church via the details below.
- Access
- Accessible toilets in church. Level access throughout
Overview
Historic England listed the church at Grade II on 9 February 2024. Ralph Covell designed a hexagram (Star of David) plan with timber hyperbolic paraboloid roofs, one of a short-lived group of British hypar churches of 1957–75. Off the main space are a Lady Chapel, choir room, vestry and kitchen. Covell designed the furnishings. Local artist Henry Haig designed fourteen dalle de verre screens, made by James Powell and Sons at Whitefriars, and vitreous-enamelled vestry doors. The foundation stone was laid on 19 September 1964 by Norman Wates, who donated the site; Bishop Mervyn Stockwood consecrated the church on 20 May 1966. The Diocese of Southwark notes Covell Matthews & Partners as architects and Lawson Piggot as builder, with copper-covered folding roofs.
Historic England’s reasons for listing are the intact 1960s plan, Haig’s glass and doors, the rare timber hypar roof, and Liturgical Movement planning as a one-room church. The building has since been placed on the Heritage at Risk Register because of roof failure.