The English Presbyterian Church is the former

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their n ...

church for

Aldershot Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alder ...

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...

. Built in 1863 it served that denomination until 1972 when most churches in the

Congregational Church in England and Wales The Congregational Union of England and Wales brought together churches in England and Wales in the Congregational tradition between 1831 and 1966. The Congregational churches emerged from the Puritan movement, each church operating independently ...

and virtually all of the congregations of the

Presbyterian Church of England The Presbyterian Church of England was a late-19th century and 20th century Presbyterian denomination in England. The church's origins lay in the 1876 merger of the English congregations of the chiefly Scottish United Presbyterian Church with var ...

including that at Aldershot combined to form the United Reformed Church in England. By the late 1970s the building was derelict at which time it was purchased by the

New Testament Church of God New Testament Church of God may refer to: * New Testament Church of God, Jamaica, branches of the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) in most Caribbean countries bear the prefix "New Testament". * New Testament Christian Churches of America, founde ...

(NTCOG) who worship there today.

History

Located in the centre of Victoria Road in

and designed in the

Italianate Style The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian R ...

with twin towers to the front, the church is one of the oldest in the town centre having been founded in 1862 and built by 1863 at a total cost of £5,000. The initiative for building the church came from William Reavell, a local citizen who had been Chairman of the Local Board, who called a public meeting in October 1861 to discuss a proposal for a Presbyterian Church in Aldershot. The land in Victoria Road was purchased in September 1862 for £210, and in the following year the building company of John Martin won the tender to build the church for £1,835 to the design of architect G. B. Musselwhite. The gallery was added in 1872. A Manse was added to the west side of the church, on the corner of Station Road, but this was demolished around 1950 and commercial buildings now occupy the site. Built as the civilian town centre was beginning to grow, the building once sat on an extensive plot which stretched to the present Station Road on one side and a dirt track to the front which had recently been named 'Victoria Road'. Attached to the rear of the building were a Sunday school and meeting hall while the Manse (since demolished) later had its use changed to a Gospel Hall. So new was the church that it sat in the centre of open fields which eventually were developed with buildings. The entrance was originally via two small gates built into a wall on Victoria Road, but this has since been demolished.Tim Childerhouse, ''Aldershot in Old Picture Postcards''
European Library (1983) The English Presbyterian church in Aldershot belonged to the Presbytery of London South. The galleried church can seat 700 in its original wooden pews. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

the church provided services for soldiers from the Camp including facilities for letter writing, tea and entertainment.

Latter years

New Testament Church of God Aldershot interior

New Testament Church of God Aldershot gallery

In 1972 the majority of churches in the

and virtually all of the congregations of the

including that at Aldershot combined to form the United Reformed Church in England. By the 1970s the building was derelict at which time it was purchased by the local congregation of the New Testament Church of God who have worshipped there ever since with a thriving congregation. Two memorials from

that were originally in the church can now be found in the porch of St Andrew's Garrison Church in Aldershot.Aldershot Presbyterian Church - War Memorial Register
-

Imperial War Museum Imperial War Museums (IWM) is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, the museum was intended to record the civil and military ...

website

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Presbyterian Church, Aldershot Aldershot Buildings and structures in Aldershot Churches in Aldershot Religious organizations established in 1863 Churches completed in 1863 Presbyterian churches in England United Reformed churches in England Italianate architecture in England Italianate church buildings in the United Kingdom