The 1852 Emmanuel Church in Forest Gate

Emmanuel Church is a Church of England establishment in Forest Gate, London. This institution of faith has seen a plethora of changes to its surrounding parishes and a recent clearing of headstones in 2023. Erected in 1852, George Gilbert Scott designed Emmanuel Church in the Decorated Gothic variant of the neo-Gothic style. In its early days, a new parish was formed for it from parts of All Saints Church, West Ham and St Mary Magdalene’s Church, East Ham.

By 1890, Emmanuel Church constructed a north aisle. From 1880, it established mission churches, including St Saviour’s Church, Forest Gate and St James Church, Forest Gate in 1881, sharing territories with All Saints Church, West Ham and St John’s Church, Stratford. By 1894, St Mark’s Church, Forest Gate had its own permanent building and its own parish, created using parts of Emmanuel Church and All Saints Church.

In 2023, a clearing of headstones and monuments was undertaken by smashing them up and removing the debris, with financial support from the Newham Council. The church authorities were deferred to and did not ask for public comment on the decision. The vicar described the area as a place littered with old graves that made the church look abandoned.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons