The Annunciation Church

The church stands on the corner of Richmond Wood Road and Charminster Road. It is aligned along the traditional east-west axis. Immediately to the north, but detached from the church is a large presbytery built in 1954, and beyond that is a parish hall built perhaps in the 1940's.

Architect: Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, 1907.

The following is a short description of the church by English Heritage, dated February 1995. (Italics are my insertions):

The Roman Catholic Church of the Annunciation was built 1905/6 by Giles Gilbert Scott, with G.F.Bodley as joint architect owing to Scott's inexperience, as a church of modest size for the Society of Jesus, (Jesuits). The crossing and sanctuary are well lit from a crossing tower which is novel in section, with circulation normally associated with an ambulatory, here raised to an upper level. The crossing tower, incorporating a high sanctuary roof, terminates in a double bellcote over the chancel arch, and it is said the bells were never hung. Side aisles consist only of walkways through internal buttresses and the resulting clerestory is unlit. The construction is loadbearing brick with limestone dressings throughout, notably with minimal projections at openings and parapets typical of modernist economic detailing. Roofs are behind parapets, probably originally covered in lead but now copper for the mostpart, with exposed timber trusses, purlins and boarded ceilings, all recently repainted.

The church was enlarged to medium size by a one-bay extension to the west, with gallery, south porch and western baptistry, all in matching work in 1959. An enlarged sacristy and Lady Chapel were added in an extension to the north, about the same time.

Various publications in the keeping of the Royal Institute of British Architects describe the design of the Annunciation Church as being 'of extraordinary vigour and originality'. A thin NE campanile, never built, is mentioned as being shown in an early perspective. The following description is included:

Many ideas in this design reappear as themes much later in Scott's church designs. A short, low nave with narrow passage aisles gives way to a taller central space - both tower and transcepts together - lit from the west above the nave roof as well as the sides - and beyond that is a narrower sanctuary of the same height, lit from windows high up. The dramatic lighting and space of choir and sanctuary are, therefore, achieved by the methods used much later elsewhere. Above the tower is a 'cyclopean bellcote'. The bell ringer stands in a little gallery inside the tower on the west - a nice conceit, accessible only across the nave roof. The designs for the fittings are also remarkable, in the rather Germanic Gothic style;...a hanging rood, curved sanctuary steps and a reredos with a tall dorsal above on the blank east wall. The church is of red brick with stone dressings, plastered internally, except for the stone piers, with coloured decoration, originally stencilled on the roofs. It has since been sensitively extended one bay to the west in 1965. The reredos was not executed, but a drawing of it is preserved at the church.

In his 'Buildings of England' - 'Hampshire and Isle of Wight' volume, Nikolaus Pevsner describes the church thus:

Brick, remarkably blocky. The wholly original central effect is the central tower, not really a tower, but a part of the building raised high up like the stage-house of a theatre. Very tall windows and a Cyclopean bellcote. The short chancel is lower, but only by a little, whereas the nave and aisles are kept demonstratively low. The aisles are no more than narrow arched passages through the internal buttresses. In the chancel high up on the north and south are two-bay arcades to a gallery or passage. In the west wall of the tower is a small corbelled-out balcony towards the inside. The nave roof is the least satisfactory feature.

The church is currently Listed as Grade II*. The original listing in 1976 as a simple Grade II described the building as above, but with further references concerning the use of thin bricks arranged in five courses of stretchers and two of headers; - a triforium gallery with an elegantly moulded pair of arches (without capitals) on each side, and a decorative wrought iron balcony connecting them above the altar; - above the triforium a clerestory of three tiny flat-topped windows on each side; - bands of pink stone around each of the piers; - a sanctuary floor of slate-grey (or blue-grey) and white stone bands radiating out from the tabernacle and continuing into the stone altar rails.

The poet, John Betjeman also gives a brief but favourable mention of the Annunciation Church.

The site was donated by a Miss Ellis, and the building was a gift from Mrs Lionel Coxon as a memorial to her father, General Augustus Meyrick, (note the small brass or copper memorial plate in the church, surmounted by the initials AMDG, (Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam - to the greater glory of God) being the motto of the Society of Jesus, - the Jesuits, who had pastoral responsibility for the church from 1906 till 1958. However, most of Giles Gilbert Scott's correspondence, concerning interior decorations and fittings at least, seems to have been conducted with a Miss Knox of Wayside, (now thought to be No.21), Richmond Park Avenue, a relation of the well-known Monsignor Ronald Knox. The church sadly does not retain the architect's plans or drawings, although these are believed to be preserved in the archives of the Royal Institute of British Architects, in Portman Square, London. However, the church still possesses Scott's painting, signed and framed, of his original plan for an elaborate reredos behind the high altar, depicting the Trinity, the 12 apostles and 6 scenes from the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The church also has a number of Scott's letters concerning the furnishings and other internal matters. They clearly indicate his meticulousness in ensuring that every internal detail reflected his original concept and design; even the tabernacle curtains were stitched by his mother! The letters cover many other subjects such as the statues and pictures, the Stations of the Cross (the Scott-approved originals are no longer in the church), the moving of the heating grille in the floor, suggestions on how to make the west end warmer and the sacristy cooler, provision of altar rails and gates, and the design (costing £1-11s-6d) of an oak credence table and sanctuary seat (manufactured by Bennet Furnishing Co of Old Kent Road, London for £8-17s-0d in all), which can still be seen in the church, though not now used for their original purpose. A couple of his more interesting letters are transcribed below, along with one written in 1960 by Miss Winefride Hornbuckle concerning a 'painting or triptych' of, -she claims,- Mary Magdalene. This could possibly be the triptych of Madonna and Child now hanging above the confessionals in the Lady Chapel and which is referred to in the letter from Judge Tucker in 1995. Alternatively, it could be the large (43ins by 53ins) Victorian (?) and rather grim painting recently discovered in a damaged state in the presbytery loft, depicting Jesus appearing to confer either physical or spiritual healing on a figure (either male or female, and possibly Mary Magdalene) surrounded by his apostles looking benevolent, and a group of others looking anything but benevolent!

(The Firs, Rainhill, Lancashire - Via 7 Gray's Inn Square, London W.1.)

April 9th 1907

Dear Madam

I am delighted to hear from Mrs Coxon that there is someone on the spot who takes a keen interest in getting really good and suitable fittings for the new church of the Annunciation.

Bad and trumpey articles will absolutely ruin the church, as my idea from the beginning has been to make the fittings play an important part in the architectural effect.

Plain plaster walls with richly coloured pictures in specially designed frames painted and gilded produce a very good effect, but it is absolutely essential that the pictures and statues should be really good and rich in effect, the richness being far more effective and pleasing by contrast with simple surroundings, if tawdry things are put in as Fr. Hornyhold seems to wish, the church assumes a poverty stricken air at once, instead of the simplicity of the church looking obviously intentional in order to produce a dignified effect, it will look as if lack of funds had made the plainness compulsory. I have got a nice Madonna in slight relief and coloured for which I have designed a frame, this is being made and will be sent down as soon as it is ready. I have ordered a nice set of stations so that we shall have something to show people what sort of fittings are intended, and I am sure they will like the effect when they see them. The artistic taste of the Catholic priests is appalling and I am most anxious to have a Catholic church in which everything is genuine and good, and not tawdry and ostentatious.

Mrs Coxon tells me that you like the candlesticks I had sent down the other day, I am delighted to hear this, they were sent down for the sake of some photos I was having taken of the church. They are very suitable in design but a little too small, I can get the same thing specially made to a larger size and I am getting an estimate and will let you hear as soon as possible.

I have a drawing of the reredos which I think might be framed and hung in the church to show people what is intended, this might encourage people to subscribe towards it.

With regard to Fr. Hornyhold I think the best plan at present is to order the things we have money for and then when they are complete and ready to hang up in the church, approach Fr. Hornyhold for his kind permission to be allowed to put them up. He will then feel it is too late to object, and if we approach him with apparent humility, he will be pleased and will no doubt be agreeable, especially if it were done personally by me and not by writing.

I shall be in Bournemouth next Monday arriving about 12.45 and if we could talk over matters with Fr. Triggs it might be a good thing. Will you be in on that day?

Believe me

Yours faithfully

G Gilbert Scott

(7 Gray's Inn Square, London W.C.)

December 20th 1916

Dear Fr. Triggs

I have received from Mrs Coxon a photograph of a statue it is proposed to put up in the church.

I know it is a somewhat delicate matter to refuse a gift, but in this case the statue is so atrocious that every endeavour should be made to keep it out of the church.

Would you mind letting the donor know that the photograph submitted to me with a view of getting my opinion as to whether the statue was the right style and character for this particular church - great care having been taken in the past to get the whole church harmonious down to its smallest accessories - and that I had expressed a very strong opinion that whatever the merits of the statue may be as a statue (it has none but that does not matter!) it was totally wrong as regards style and character for this particular church.

I am sorry to trouble you, but I hope you will succeed in keeping it out.

I hope you keep well.

With kind regards and every good wish for Xmas.

Yours sincerely

G Gilbert Scott

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(3 Rothesay Drive, Highcliffe-on-Sea, Christchurch Hants)

April 5th 1960

Dear Father Moore,

....This is a letter of apology really, as I am annoyed to hear that a person called Miss Doyle, a tenant of Miss Margaret Mayo, of the Corpus Christi Parish, has, without my consent, actually had the impudence to approach either yourself or one of the Fathers, with reference to a picture which my late dear Mother gave Father Triggs S.J. for the Church. The real history of this might interest you, although as I say I gave authority to nobody to refer to the subject.

(May I beg you to excuse mistakes as I cannot see anything owing to cataract in both eyes, so I just guess.)

When my Grandfather, the late General Meyrick in whose memory Mother built the Church, was a young subaltern in the Crimean War, he was disturbed, like many others, at the looting. He took possession of one lovely picture or triptych obviously looted from a Church. He gave it to his captain asking that it be returned to the Czar.

Some two years later, a special messenger arrives at his London home, with a personal letter of thanks from the Czar and the picture as a gift.

This lovely thing became a great family treasure, and some seventy years later, it was left to my Mother, and was in our home for many years, until Mother built the Church, and she thought, as it was a Religious subject (St Mary Magdalene) that it should go to the Church, so she gave it to Father Triggs, for over the Confessional but some time later she noticed it was not in the Church. Father Triggs said the subject (rather grimly painted) was not very popular, and he said he would find some other place for it. As far as I know, it never was put in the Church, but was in the keeping of Miss Knox.

I gave no permission for you to be bothered, please believe this.

It was so long ago that Mother gave it, it is almost lost in obscurity.

I hope all goes well with the work. It will look nice when finished I am sure.

With kind wishes

Yours sincerely, Winefride Hornbuckle.

 

His Honour Judge H.J.Martin Tucker, Q.C.

It is curious that none of the 'official' descriptions mentions the small room situated above the sacristy and below the triforium, or gallery, above. This served as living accommodation for the priest until the presbytery was built in 1954. I have records to indicate how extensively it was used, but there are traces of old-fashioned bedroom wallpaper on the walls. The room has no window, as this was blocked up when the Lady Chapel's flat roof was replaced by a pitched roof in 1984. Access is by means of a ladder from a trap-door in the floor of the NE triforium. At the other end of the room, a much smaller trap door in the floor of the room gives access to the sacristy by means of a rope ladder. When using this room, the priest's cooking and washing facilities would have been across the wrought-iron bridge over the sanctuary, and down to the ground level area where a sink and other facilities were available. This area is now used as a flower room and 'working' sacristy.

On the blank east wall, above the tabernacle and below the wrought-iron bridge, hangs a fine painting of the Annunciation (Mary receiving the message from the Archangel Gabriel), reputed to be a copy, - possibly contemporary,- of an original by Guido Reni, which is an integral part of the Pope's Quirinale Palace in Rome. The picture, in canvas and exactly as the Bournemouth copy (though possibly a little larger), is behind the altar in the Annunciation Chapel, accessed from the Hall of Mirrors (Ballroom), by the sliding aside of two huge gilt mirrors. It is considered to be the masterpiece of Reni's Roman period of 1607ff. The other walls of the chapel are covered with murals depicting scenes from the life of Our Lady, the most famous being that of the Madonna sewing. Another (oval-shaped) copy can be seen in the church of San Lorenzo in Lucina, Rome. This church also contains Reni's other masterpiece, the Crucifixion. The Bournemouth copy may have been by Reni himself, or one of his school. It has recently been cleaned at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Above the painting, along the skirting of the iron bridge are the words spoken by Gabriel to Mary: 'Ave, Maria, gratia plena dominus tecum, benedicta tu in mulieribus.' (Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women.). The consequence of Mary's acceptance of God's will is inscribed on the front of the marble altar: 'Et Verbum Caro Factum Est ...Et Habitavit In Nobis' (The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us). Also on the front of the altar, in the centre, is a crucifix in slight relief with an unusual 'flying' loincloth! It is superimposed on a circle, representing both the world with its 12 points of the compass, a laurel wreath of victory; a fruitful vine, and most importantly, - the Sacred Host.

The straw and amber geometrically tiled floor to the tower and aisles would give a spacious feel to the building had not the seating be allowed to encroach into the wide central aisle.

Scott's church had no coloured glass, and I have a feeling that he would not have approved of the one window that has since been fitted with stained glass depicting Marian scenes and dedicated to the memory of Harold Wrangel Clarke, MD, who died in 1945. It is a beautiful and simple piece of art designed by the very well-known disabled artist, Evie Hone. Beautiful as it is in itself, it seriously upsets the balance of colour and light in the building.

The carved oak pulpit by the well-known and highly skilled Thompson family of Kilburn, in Yorkshire, is likewise not original, and has, in fact, hardly been used! A little carved mouse, - the Thompson trademark - can be found low on one of the panels. The oak dado panelling was also installed about the same time, again, I suspect, out of keeping with Scott's concept.

The marble altar frontal in the Lady Chapel was acquired quite recently from the Boscombe convent of the Anglican Bethany nuns, which was closing down. It depicts the dead Christ in his mother's arms, and was originally in their mother house in Lloyd Square in London.

A CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNT OF THE OPENING OF THE CHURCH:

(Taken from the Catholic Weekly Newspaper - February 1st 1907)

Bournemouth.

Opening of a New Church.

On Tuesday, the Church of Our Lady of the Annunciation was formally and solemnly opened in the presence of a large congregation. The church has been erected by a munificence of Mrs Edith Coxon, wife of Captain Coxon, RN, "in loving memory of Lieutenant General Augustus Meyrick, of the Scots Guards." The opening ceremony was performed by his lordship, the Right Rev. J. B. Cahill, Dd.., Bishop of Portsmouth, who celebrated Pontifical High Mass, assisted by the Rev. Canon Coxon, the deacon being the Rev. Father Hayden, S.J. Superior of Corpus Christi, Boscombe, and the sub-Deacon the Rev, Father Triggs. Other clergy taking part in the ceremony were the Very Rev, Father Sykes (Provincial of the Society of Jesus), the Rev. Father Hornyhold, S.J., Superior of the Church of the Sacred Heart, Richmond Hill, with which the new church is connected, the Rev. Father Strappini, S.J., the Rev. Father Redman S.J., the Rev. Father de Lapusture, S.J. (Corpus Christi, Boscombe), the Rev. Father Lawless, S.J. (Corpus Christi), the Rev. Father Maguire, S.J., the Rev. Father Lord Arundell, the Rev. Father Luck, S.J., the Rev. Father Paul, &c.

There was a strong choir from the Church of the Sacred Heart, which rendered the music throughout, the Kyrie, Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei being sung from the Mass of St. John the Baptist, and the Gloria and other portions from other compositions.

The Rev. Father Bernard Vaughan, S.J., preached the sermon, his discourse being based on the 38th verse of the 26th chapter of St. Matthew, "Then saith He unto them, 'My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death. Tarry ye here and watch with me.'" Father Vaughan, in the course of a long eloquent, and impassioned sermon, drew a graphic word picture of Christ's agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, of His trials, and of His mastery. He touched briefly on the subject of the higher criticism, and beseeched his hearers to hold fast to the Catholic faith, which meant salvation. All the doubts respecting Christ's Divinity and other matters connected with faith which were just now engaging the attention of the public could not alter the fact that they would all of them have to stand before the Great Judge, who would not question whether they were this or that in their doctrines, but who would judge them as to their conduct and their opportunities. Let them follow the lessons taught by Jesus,, who had drained the chalice of sorrow and suffering, and who had struggled, fought, and conquered. Let them, through stress and a storm, struggle in the direction of securing a knowledge of God's truths. Let them remember that the poor were God's aristocracy, and take lessons from the fact. Let them be gentle and kind in their treatment of all by whom they were surrounded, and let each remember that he must be a child before he could enter the Kingdom of Heaven. All, whether Pope or bishop, or priest or layman, must be a child before he could enter the Kingdom of Heaven. He concluded with a powerful exhortation to hold fast to the truths of the Catholic religion, and to seek the Lord Jesus Christ in all their trials, their troubles, and their difficulties.

The Annunciation became a parish in its own right in 1955, and for the next three years the Jesuits continued to serve it. The Jesuit priests concerned were: (Parish Priests) Fathers George Turner, John Rimmer, and (assistant priests) Fathers Richard Wiber, Bernard Whiteside, Bernard Hall, Niall Corbett, Bernard Enright. In 1958 the parish was transferred to the care of the diocesan clergy and the parish priests have been Fathers John Moore (1958-63), William Dunphy (1963-90), Michael Feben (1990-94), Anthony Pennicott (1994-). The main assistant priests have been Fathers Thomas Grundy (1958-63), Terence Green (1958-66), Philip Quinn (1966-69), Patrick O'Reilly (1969-71), Michael Feben (1969-90), Brian Rutledge (1971-75), Michael Peters (1976-77), William Dunphy (1990-94).

A LOOK AHEAD...

Giles Gilbert Scott designed and built many churches including the Anglican cathedral in Liverpool, but Annunciation Church was his first - the test bed for his ideas and designs. He also designed many secular buildings, including Battersea and Bankside Power Stations in London, and the familiar old red telephone kiosk. Understandably, our church is 'blessed' with the consequences of his inexperience. The almost flat roof has always leaked, and thousands upon thousands of pounds have been spent on its repair, but to no avail. It has been covered with tarpaulins since 1993/4 The walls, especially the south wall, are sodden with damp. The stone gothic windows, especially on the south and west, have been seriously eroded by water penetration. Scaffold boards are in place inside the church to prevent lumps of stone falling on the congregation. The south porch roof is still a lake after several repairs and the ceiling beneath is cracked, flaking and covered in black and green mould. Half of the ceiling of the baptistry collapsed earlier in 1995, without warning.

The church does not provide any of the amenities expected in a public building today. There is no adequate gathering space separate from the body of the church; there are no toilets (except for one in the Sacristy for the use of the clergy and servers); there are no creche facilities, or provision for a bookstall; there is no link with the priest's house or the parish hall; and no discreet and easily monitored side entrance, that would be secure enough to give daytime access to a day chapel.

The church was designed to suit the Catholic liturgy as it was celebrated before the reforms of the Second Vatican Council (1960's). It is quite unsuited to today's liturgical requirements, and is designed in such a way that no flexibility or adaptation is possible.

Understandably, the church is not prepared to spend several hundred thousand pounds reinforcing these shortcomings, simply in the interests of history.

In the first half of 1995, a compromise scheme was proposed in principle to try and achieve, as far as is possible, the best of both worlds. This would have involved retaining and restoring the tower over the sanctuary and crossing, as this is by far the most interesting, innovative and inspiring part of the building. The nave would have been demolished and replaced with a wider and more flexible worship area, sympathetically designed to compliment the original building and its features, but having a waterproof pitched roof! There would have been a central (but movable) altar, and a substantial and worthy font, with flexible seating for approximately 280 to 240 persons. The present sanctuary was to have become a Blessed Sacrament chapel; with the choir positioned between this and the new part of the building. The arch to the Lady Chapel was to have been glazed to provide a day chapel/creche. The space between the church and the priest's house would have been filled in to provide a social gathering space, with a cloister along the outside of the Lady Chapel and sacristy leading to a toilet block and thence to the parish hall. A paved area with steps and ramps would have lead from the church past the front of the priest's house to the church car park.

This scheme would have retained the historical roots of the parish, all the best parts of Scott's building, and the majesty and mystery of his original design, while at the same time providing all the pastoral and liturgical needs of the contemporary parish community. Unfortunately, inspite of support from the parish community and the diocesan liturgical experts, the Portsmouth Diocesan Finance Committee turned down the scheme in October 1995, as the costs were judged to be prohibitive, and the opposition of English Heritage probably insuperable. A more modest package of improvements and re-ordering within the existing building may still be possible, along with the repairs and restoration that is a legal requirement.

During 1996, the pulpit was removed and re-fashioned as a small, moveable altar, now in use for weekday Mass - in the Lady Chapel during the summer, and in the sacristy during the winter. Also the length of the pews was reduced, considerably widening the central aisle to its original width, and providing a much more spacious feel to the building, and providing greater opportunity for flexibility in the liturgy.

In 1997 the parish was re-structured into a network of small neighbourhood communities - nine in all. These include all the Catholics and their families living in the particular neighbourhood. A leader (trained) is appointed and a weekly meeting arranged locally during school term-time. The leader and venue changes at least annually and perhaps termly. All are encouraged to attend the meeting at least occasionally, to share faith over a light meal, reflect on the forthcoming Sunday’s Gospel reading, and attend to the pastoral needs of the neighbourhood. The aim is to offer much better support and pastoral care and to enhance the sense of belonging, community and involvement in the life of the church. Early indications are that God is blessing this initiative.

In June 1998, after wading through an unnecessarily long and frustrating period of planning, negotiating and bureaucratic wrangling, English Heritage finally agreed to offer a realistic grant of 40% towards the cost of eligible works of phase one of the restoration, based on the actual tender accepted by the architect, Columba Cook, whose painstaking and professional perseverance with this project have to be applauded. English Heritage having given its approval, the Diocese has also given permission for the work to commence, and the necessary funds to be advanced to the parish. The contractors, St.Blase, are expected to begin work in August, which will unfortunately mean that it will not be finished until after Christmas. It is hoped that approval can be obtained swiftly for phase two, so that the builders may remain on site until both phases are finished.

In addition to this restoration work, the parish will have to find its own funds, without diocesan help, for all the necessary improvements that the church urgently needs, such as a full interior redecoration, new interior and exterior lighting, new central heating, a new side entrance with toilet and link to the Presbytery, and a new large central crucifix (modelled on an original design by Giles Gilbert Scott), and a new fixed font. To fund these works and clear our existing debt of over £100,000, the Friends of Annunciation has been formed, asking for 200 good people to donate £1000 each. We hope and pray that we will be able to find this number of generous donors in and around the parish, former parishioners and supporters now living away, and other well-wishers. We are anxious to avoid getting bogged down in an exhausting and never-ending round of small fund-raising events and schemes, which would inevitably detract from our pastoral priorities.  If you who are reading this and would like to help, please view our appeal page.

RELATIONSHIP WITH ST.EDMUND CAMPION CHURCH & PARISH:

The following is an extract from ‘A Short History of St.Edmund Campion Church’ published on the occasion of the solemn dedication and opening of the new church on November 30th 1981: -(text not in italics is my addition)

St Edmund Campion

By the mid fifties, the Jesuit Fathers in charge of Bournemouth district had realised the need for a worship centre for those Catholics who lived in the Moordown, Strouden and adjacent areas. In February 1955, a dual purpose building was opened and dedicated at 481, Castle Lane West, where Mass could be celebrated and parishioners could gather socially. The church was named after the Jesuit Elizabethan martyr and scholar Saint (then Blessed) Edmund Campion. It remained a chapel-of-ease to the mother parish of the Sacred Heart, and, later, was administered by the Parish of the Annunciation, Charminster Road. The first priest to serve at Strouden Park was the Jesuit, Fr. Neil Corbett. He stayed for several years and built up a thriving community until, with the phased withdrawal of the Jesuit Fathers from much of their parish work in Bournemouth, the area came under the jurisdiction of the diocesan clergy at Charminster Road. The taste and experience of quasi-autonomy never entirely left the local Catholics and the Parish of Charminster kept this hope alive until, finally, in 1977, Fr Dunphy, the Parish Priest at the Annunciation brought about in consultation with the Bishop, the hopes, prayers and plans of many years. In September 1977, Fr. Charles Aylward became the first parish priest of St.Edmund Campion, .......beginning its life in grateful company with its mother parish, the Annunciation, and its other older neighbours. The existing 1955 church continued to be used and certain repairs were carried out. Frs Dunphy and Feben had managed to acquire for the diocese a bungalow in nearby Woodbury Avenue, and this served as a presbytery. The parish now settled down into normal activities, with great emphasis on fund-raising for the hoped-for new church of the future..... building operations began in October 1980. In March 1981, Fr.John B.Murphy succeeded as parish priest, and to him fell the difficult task of completing the building programme and getting the whole project in readiness for the parishioners. This he achieved by November 1981, when the church and house with neat and ample adjoining car park were occupied and used for the first time.

In 1982 Fr.Murphy died and was succeeded by Fr.Laurence McMaster who served the parish faithfully until his own death in February 1996. Fr.Michael Feben, who had just completed a year-long sabbatical after 25 years service at Annunciation, was appointed parish priest. In September 1998 he is to take early retirement, and Bishop Crispian Hollis has taken the difficult decision not to replace him. For some years, the rapidly decreasing number of active priests suitable for parish work, had caused several parishes all around the diocese to join with neighbours in sharing the services of a parish priest, while at the same time maintaining as much as possible of their independence and distinct community identity. From September 1998, Charminster and Strouden Park parishes will move into a new pastoral unit entitled ‘the united parish of the Annunciation and St.Edmund Campion’, with Fr.Anthony Pennicott as parish priest. Changes to the number and times of masses, and the financial and administrative arrangements will be openly and fully discussed with both communities before decisions are taken. Everything will be done to make sure that a return to full independent status for both parishes will be easily achieved as and when the number of priests increases; unfortunately this is not likely to happen in the foreseeable future.

Prepared in April 1995, updated in June 1998. - Father Anthony Pennicott, Parish Priest.