Church Monuments Society

Church across pond

2026 Annual General Meeting

When

Where

All Saints, Carshalton
High St, Carshalton SM5 3AG

Join us for a study day and AGM at the Parish Church of All Saints, Carshalton, South West London. The AGM is for members only but the rest of the day is open to all.

The ‘church on the ponds’, extensively rebuilt in the late 19th century, preserves a good range of monuments from the 15th into the 20th centuries, including a nationally important late 15th century brass, two early 18th century standing wall monuments to eminent Bank of England and South Sea Company sub-governors, a mid 18th century minor masterpiece by Thomas Carter and a standard work by Rysbrack, and some smaller early 19th century works by Physick, Regnart and Behnes-Burlowe. The interior was extensively decorated by Sir Ninian Comper during the long incumbency of W R Corbold, with whom he collaborated.

Carshalton can be reached by train from London Victoria, London Bridge (indirect), and London St Pancras (Bedford/St Albans), and Guildford, Horsham and Dorking (and points south). There is a good bus service from Croydon to Heathrow (bus SL7), and plenty of car-parking near the church. The village, which has plenty of restaurants and cafes, is famous for its unique 18th century water and garden landscape adjoining to the church.

Timetable

11.00 – 12.00              Arrive and Welcome at All Saints Carshalton – tea/coffee available.

12.00 – 12.30              Annual General Meeting.

12.30 – 13.45pm.        Lunch (eat in, or within the village – details separate).

From 13.00                    parishioners are invited to join us for the rest of the day.

13.00 – 13.30              Organ recital (within the lunch break, ends about 13.30).

The Organ, a late example of the work of ’Father’ Henry Willis, was ordered on 12th September 1893, but only partially completed, its full complement of 32 stops was finally connected in 2012 when thoroughly overhauled by the same company. Originally to the north of the chancel, in the 1930s it was grandly repositioned atop Sir Ninian Comper’s fine gallery at the west end, within his decorative case.

13.00 – 13.30             Tower open (Ringing Chamber, etc).

The eight bells are in the key of F sharp. The back six were cast in 1804 by Thomas Mears of Whitechapel, the treble & second in 1895 by Charles Oliver of London and were all rehung in 1979 in a new metal frame on ball bearings.

 13.45 – 14.15            Short monumental tour of the Church (Andrew Skelton with  Derrick Chivers).

The authenticated work of Thomas Carter, C Regnart, E J Physick, M Rysbrack, Bedford and Co, and others is to be found here, with an attributed work by Gibbons augmented by Carpenter some 20 years later and further ‘mucked around with’! There is a good set of brasses, including that to the Gaynesfords, c.1497 (see CMS Monument of the Month, April 2026).

14.15 – 15.30             ‘Members Hour‘; informative 15 minute talks on current research;

Ellie Pridgeon – Mapping Monuments and Murals: Reconstructing the Hungerford Chapel at  Salisbury Cathedral.

Hilary Wheeler – Come One, Come All; A Vision for Eternity.

Jonathon Randall – The George Binsteed Memorial in Portsmouth Cathedral.

David Carrington (CMS Case officer) – Some recent CMS Conservation Casework.

Moira Ackers – The Tales We Tell: Monumental Narratives.

 

15.30 – 16.00; tea/coffee and goodbye.

 

Click the links below for a map of the area, information on parking, transport and food

 

Gallery