Sacred Heart Church lies on the busy Kingston Road, between Fairfax and Wick roads on the right as you head towards Hampton Wick and Kingston. It’s been there since the 1800s. A solid, no nonsense, red brick, classically styled, imposing building, its fair to say it looks best from the inside.
Between the human bustle and activity of Kingston Road and the inner peace of the church building lies the award winning front garden. In spring and summer it’s an oasis of greenery, colour and peace, as seen in the photos below. In autumn and winter, the trees along the roadside like to drop their leaves on it, a lot.
Visiting priest Fr Robert McCullough tells a wonderful story of people blessing themselves as they pass by, catching sight of morning mass through the open doors on summer days. Like the church, the garden is part of the community and it’s for everyone. Initially, it took quite a bit of vision and then some elbow grease to get it looking as good as it does now.
Things are easier nowadays, but more elbows are always welcome. Upkeep is not a huge commitment, its gentle, sociable, good fun and is often accompanied by biscuits, coffee, sitting on the bench and laughter. Enjoy the photos below and please contact Fr Stephen at Teddington@rcdow.org.uk if you’d like to help the gardening team keep it looking this good.
sacred heart teddington 