Bournemouth was a new and growing town in the mid 19th century.

The first Congregational Church on our prime site was built in 1854 and had 24 members. It was pulled down being too small and replaced by the present buildings on the same site. This was completed in 1891 at the cost of £14,000 including the furnishings.

The church has a capacity for about 1200 people.

Within nine years, there were 800 new members. The Pulpit was a gift from the Minister, Revd Ossian Davies at the time the church was built.

The most treasured feature of the church is its great stained glass window at the back of the Sanctuary. The bottom eight panels depict scenes from the Knights of the Round Table featuring especially the Quest of the Holy Grail. The panels immediately above are from Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. There is the figure of Bunyan himself in a left hand panel - dressed in a brown Puritan costume. The emblems of Wessex are above and, right in the centre top, is the figure of the Ascendant Christ as King of Kings, with the Sceptre and the Orb in his hands.

The Organ is a fine instrument of three manuals and is in part a Willis Organ.

Our church building is unusual for a Nonconformist 'chapel' because it is so beautiful. Beauty can help us worship God - our ancestors were suspicious we might worship the holiness of beauty and not the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

The church quickly became one of the most famous Congregational Churches in England, not least because of some nationally and internationally renowned ministers. J D Jones was Minister for nearly 40 years and an Honourary Secretary of the Congregational Union. His successors Dr John Short and Dr Trevor Davies were each in turn, like JD, Chairmen of the Congregational Union.

In 1972 the church became part of the United Reformed Church, a union of Congregationalists and Presbyterians and later Churches of Christ congregations. It encouraged local unity by its membership and leadership of the Town Centre Covenant Partnership with Sacred Heart Roman Catholic, St Stephen's and St Peter's Church of England, Punshon Memorial Methodist Church, and a sister United Reformed Congregation at East Cliff mear the railway station. In January 2005 St Andrew's United Reformed Church (formerly Presbyterian) across the square, united with Richmond Hill to form Richmond Hill St Andrew's United Reformed Church on the Richmond Hill site.

 

Richmond Hill Ministers

1859 - 1869 Rev. Nicholas Hurry

1869 - 1872 Rev. H. Ribton Cooke

1873 - 1886 Rev. William Jackson

1888 - 1897 Rev. J. Ossian Davies

1898 - 1937 Rev. J.D. Jones CH. MA. DD.

1937 - 1951 Rev. John Short MA. DD. Ph.D

1951 - 1971 Rev. J. Trevor Davies MA. DD. Ph.D

1972 - 1979 Rev. A. Peter Williams BA. BD.

1981 - 1987 Rev. John MacKelvie MA. BD.

1988 - 1994 Rev. Roger J. Hall BA.

1995 - 2005 Rev. Donald W. Norwood MA.

2005            Rev. Martin Ambler BA.

 

 

Bournemouth Town Centre Places of Worship - Guided Walk

John Walker, an official Bournemouth Guide and local historian has provided details of a guided walk which takes just under two hours (at easy pace) around the town centre. Full details can be found on the web site:

http://www.bournemouthwalks.com

which includes all faiths and its aim is to cover the history of the development and building of all the town centre places of worship and any historical links between them. Details of notable events and famous people who have worshipped at the various locations will be included.