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Stars save church for concerts and parties
Louise Jury, Chief Arts Correspondent14 Jan 2009
A VICTORIAN church has been saved from decades of dereliction thanks to a £4.5million campaign by Hampstead residents.
Stars including Judi Dench, Helena Bonham-Carter, Sam Mendes and Jude Law have backed the refurbishment of St Stephen's Church on Rosslyn Hill, which will now re-open in March as an arts and community centre.
The Grade I-listed building has been closed since 1977 and assorted plans to turn it into luxury flats or demolish it for a car park had failed. But a decade ago, Michael Taylor, an architect whose wife Andrea runs a school next door, stepped in to try to restore it.
"The place was in surprisingly good structural nick bearing in mind 25 years of dereliction. And we fell in love with it. It is beautiful," he said.
The St Stephen's Restoration and Preservation Trust was set up and began work with the help of grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage.
Supporters and residents also raised £1million.
The Antic Disposition theatre company will now have three residencies a year in the venue starting on 17 March. John Riseboro, the company's co-producer, said: "I grew up in the area and was always intrigued by what was inside the church. It's been empty for so long I think everyone is looking forward to seeing it come back to life."
The centre will start with a production of The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe when it opens in March.
Neighbouring Hampstead Hill School will rent part of the undercroft and the church will be available for parties, concerts and special events.
The building was designed by Greenwich-born SS Teulon and opened in 1869.
