A large church built at the time of the Second Vatican Council, circular on plan and with some notable furnishings.  

The parish of Thames Ditton was erected in 1959. The foundation stone for Our Lady of Lourdes was laid in May 1964 and the church opened on All Saints’ Day the following year. This was at the time of the Second Vatican Council (1962-5) and the parish priest Fr Gillespie was keen to have a design which reflected the trend towards more active participation of the laity in the liturgy. The church was therefore built to a circular plan, from designs by D.A. Reid, one of F.G. Broadbent’s partners (Reid had joined the practice of H.S. Goodhart-Rendel, later headed by F.G. Broadbent, in 1952. He worked closely with Goodhart-Rendel during the architect’s final years, completing the chapel of Tyburn Convent after his death in 1959). Pierre Fourmaintraux of Whitefriars was commissioned to design dalle de verre (slab in resin) glass for the church.

In 1988 a large hall, built in brick in a matching style, was attached to the north of the church. This was designed by Jeffrey MacCormack. An illustration in Bryan Little’s Catholic Churches since 1623 shows how the church looked  before the building of this extension.

A major renovation took place in 2015, with a new narthex (incorporating Fourmaintraux glass from the demolished church at Whyteleafe, qv) as well as a new altar and pews.

Description

Our Lady of Lourdes is constructed in brick with pre-cast concrete panels and a shell concrete dome clad in copper and with a central spike. The church is circular on plan, with four full-height projections, built in brick with gently curved tops. The one facing west is adorned with a large sculpture of Christ on the Cross by David McFall. Beneath this there is a projecting single-storey porch flanked by auxiliary accommodation that wraps round the central drum.

The internal plan reflects the changes in liturgical practice introduced around the time of the Second Vatican Council. The sacristy occupies the wedge-shaped structure behind the altar (remade in 2015 by Brian Quinn), with curved benches in the nave surrounding the circular sanctuary. Emphasis is given to the centrality of the altar by the giant corona suspended from the dome, and natural light is provided by the clerestory windows in the wall enclosing the central drum. The side chapels contain glass by Pierre Fourmaintraux of Whitefriars, and further glass by him (ex Whyteleafe, 1961) was brought into the narthex c.2015.

Entry amended and updated by AHP 30.10.2026

Heritage Details