St Anselm's Church, Hatch End, welcomed associated Mrs Beeton, Blackwell the soup mogul, the Spooner family and more

Mrs Beeton, the cookery writer, whose home is commemorated by the plaque in Hatch End High street was one of the well known parishioners of St Anselm's Church. After admiring her plaque take a walk along the bustling high street towards the station and turn down Westfireld Park, a cup-de sac, to the church, which is still an oasis of peace amongst the tall trees and birdsong. It's so quiet you could hear a pine cone drop.

The soup mogul, Mr Thomas Blackwell, famous for Cross and Blackwell soup, owned the land near what is now Hatch End station. (When another station was built, the station in Hatch End was renamed Hatch End and the newer station was called Pinner.)

If you search on Google you'll find several other churches called St Anselm's but St Anselm actually had a connection to this Harrow.

Here is St Anselm

When can you see inside the church?

Pinner Arts Week is 26 Sept to 5 Oct 2014 and at the weekend of Saturday 5 October and Sunday 6 October 2014 there is free entry to Discover St Anselm's. 11-3 pm.
 'Tours highlighting the Louis Davis stained glass windows, Charles Spooner's carved oak rood screen, World War One memorial, Millennium tapestry, embroidered vestments, displays, music and refreshments.'
(For more about the church see next post under construction - come back later for more.)