I’ve chosen St Lawrence’s Church in Brentford, Middlesex as
my environment project. My concept is how the environment looks when nature overtakes derelict places. This building was amongst the earliest
structures in Brentford and has remained virtually unchanged since. The
church is full of history dating back to the 15th century and many valuable
artefacts have been removed and stored in museums since its closure in 1961. It
is now on the English Heritage At Risk Register. According to Duncan Walker on
the Brentford Dock Residents website:
“It embodies the spirit
of hundreds of years of Brentford’s past, but sadly now, its fabric is being
left to rot.”
St Lawrence’s has been a Grade II listed building since 1991.
There have been many plans for it over the years, but none have ever happened.
When it is eventually restored, it is set to stand amongst riverside
apartments, trendy restaurants and shopping malls. The surrounding apartments are
largely bought by professional couples and, according to the Brentford
Residents Association, they are hoping that the church will be turned into a
fitness centre.
Meanwhile, while the arguments between the developers and the community carry on, the church remains untouched. Shrubs are growing wild, ivy is covering walls, doors and tombstones and most shocking of all is the two trees bursting through the brickwork a metre or so down from the roof.
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