history page
An Historical Background to the Church
of the Sacred Heart on Richmond Hill in
Bournemouth, 1861 - present day
Bournemouth
In the early 1800s Bournemouth was a 'new town'. Prior to becoming a
desirable resort for bathing and taking the sea air, Bournemouth was no more
than a small hamlet at the mouth of the River Bourne. With its attractive
coastline and some seven miles of sandy beaches, it soon gave rise to a number
of hotels and guest-houses to accommodate the increasing number of visitors.
The development of the town was to be accelerated by the growth of a more
efficient railway system, transporting many more people to this popular
coastal destination.
The Sacred Heart Church
A brief historical account of the first recorded services at private
chapels in Bournemouth
The first recorded Mass in Bournemouth was in 1861-62 as
Mrs Washington Hibbert from London established a private chapel in the then
Belle Vue Hotel, on the site of what is now the Pavilion Theatre. Between
1863 and 1865, with the help of other wealthy visitors to the area, Lady
Catherine Petre undertook the upkeep of the chapel. From 1865 - 1866
the responsibility was taken over by Thomas Weld Blundell who likewise kept a
private chapel.
From 1866 until 1867 a priest at Walton House in Richmond Hill and
Lord Edward Fitzalan Howard kept a private chapel at Brunstath
on the East Cliff.
In 1869 the Jesuits opened a more permanent chapel at Astney Lodge and then
in 1870 they transferred to a small chapel on Richmond Hill. And so began
the Sacred Heart Church in Bournemouth.
The Nave of the present church was built in 1873 and the completed oratory
was blessed by Bishop James Dannell, Bishop of Southwark, in 1875.
The building, designed by the architect
Clutton, was opened
on 5th February 1875. The architecture presented a mixture of neo-gothic and
neo-Norman influences and reflected the spirit of the Victorian era.
Many Catholic visitors to Bournemouth came to worship at the Sacred Heart.
They appreciated its beauty as well as the liturgy. This remains the same today.
It was to be another one hundred years before the church was consecrated by
Bishop Worlock,
following a re-ordering of the interior.
The Diocese of Portsmouth was established in 1882 and during the 1880s a new
chancel and transepts were added to meet the growing needs of the Catholic
population. At the same time, a house was built for the Jesuits who served
the area. On 31 December 1900 the newly enlarged church was blessed.
The Sacred Heart is the mother church of some seven churches and Mass
centres built to serve the needs of a rapidly growing population.
During the Second World War the church was fortunate to escape relatively
undamaged in the bombing which destroyed the Methodist church a few yards
further down Richmond Hill.
In 1969 The Jesuit community handed over the pastoral care of the
Sacred Heart Parish to the secular priests of the Diocese of Portsmouth.
The 1970s and 1980s saw considerable work of restoration to both the church
and the presbytery. During this time the interior of the church was
re-ordered in line with the liturgical decrees of the Second Vatican
Council.
It was during this time too, and to mark the historic visit to England and
Wales by His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, that the belfry was restored and a
ring of six bells was installed.
On the evening of Monday 28 November 1983
the bells of Richmond Hill rang out for the first time. The Sacred Heart
Church is one of only a few Catholic Churches in this country to have its
own ring of bells.
Today in 2011 The Sacred Heart continues to serve the needs of the local
Catholic community and is pleased to welcome visitors from all over the
world.
The Sacred Heart Church in Bournemouth
is sadly running at a loss
and it struggles to keep up with costs.
Please help as generously as you can.
