Royal Garrison Church of All Saints is a Church of England church in Aldershot Garrison, England.It was built in 1863 and designed by the architect P. C. Hardwick. The building is constructed in the Gothic Revival style using English bond red brick, hence its nickname of "the Red Church". It is the 'home' church for the Anglican military personnel serving in Aldershot.
History of the Garrison Church
The Church is approached by way of Old Contemptibles Avenue
In January 1854 some 25,000 acres of Aldershot Heath were purchased with the view to setting up a permanent military camp in the area. The outbreak of the Crimean War later in the same year led to a military mobilisation and in 1855 12,000 huts were constructed in the Aldershot area to house the 20,000 militia who had been called up.
It was soon apparent that the size of Camp that Aldershot had become by this time would need a Church, so a small iron building was commissioned; this was the only Church in the Camp at Aldershot from 1855 until 1863 and was on the site now occupied by the Garrison Church of St Andrew on Queens Avenue. When Parliament decided to make Aldershot a permanent Camp in 1857 a new site was chosen for the building of a permanent Garrison Church near to the Royal Pavilion, and this is the Garrison Church we see today. The architect was Philip Charles Hardwick (1822-1892), who designed a red-brick structure in the Gothic Revival style. The Church measures 143 feet in length and is 68 feet wide and can seat 1,250 worshippers. The spire is 170 feet tall and is a local landmark.
The Church was consecrated by the Charles Richard Sumner, The Bishop of Winchester on 29 July 1863. The church was Grade II listed in 1973.
Today the Church is approached by way of Old Contemptibles Avenue, so named after the Old Contemptibles who attended an annual service at the Church for many years and who would then parade out of the Church along this avenue and down to Wellington Avenue opposite. The Avenue was opened by Major-General Ronald Bramwell-Davis, General Officer Commanding Aldershot District on 24 August 1958, the 44th anniversary of the Battle of Mons.
The Royal Army Dental Corps Chapel is in the south west corner of the Church with an altar frontal in green with the beautifully embroidered past and present badges of the Corps thereon. St Michael's Chapel - the Warrior's Chapel - is surrounded by a very fine screen.
Key events
Now for the cache:
At stage 1 - find the plaque to the right of the gates, what date were the gates erected, call this ABCDEFGH
At stage 2 - At the statue you will find a plaque, find the date the statue was reerected, call this IJKL
To find the final cache: N51 (K+L+A) . (F-D) H (G-I) W000 (FxG+E) . D L B
Final Sum Check : 57
If you would like to add to the Church Micro series yourself then please look here
http://churchmicro.co.uk/
There is also a Church Micro Stats & Information page that can be found at
http://www.15ddv.me.uk/geo/cm/index.html