St John the Evangelist RC Church Tadworth

During the later years of the Russell chapel of St Charles, the family had given a site for the new church in Motts Hill Lane, but this — and various other sites which were also selected at one time or another (for example Sandlands Road, Walton and Shelvers Hill, Tadworth) — were turned down for a variety of reasons, including objections from the Local Authority. However, in 1957, a great step forward in the planning was able to be taken as a result of a large gift from Mr. John Heagerty, who bought and donated the present site of King’s Lodge and its grounds for use as a future church and preparatory school.

Accompanying him was his friend, John Graham, who also provided some of the original financing.  

A sturdy step forward in the process occurred in May 1958 with the appointment of a priest-in-charge of Tadworth parish — Fr John Proctor — who took over from the temporary Fr O’Shea.

Plans were now afoot to appoint an architect and make a start with the design of the church. Most of the money needed, it was felt, was already in existence in the gifts of money from John Heagerty and John Graham, as well as what had been collected down the years from the Russell chapel masses.The first architect was Sir Philip Goodhart-Rendel, President of the Royal Institute of British Architects, a man who, twenty-five years before, had designed Prinknash Abbey (although, with the advent of the War and the inevitably long delay afterwards before any building could begin, a very much slimmed-down version had to be agreed, and another architect involved). By coincidence this other architect of Prinknash was also the final one used by Tadworth parish (Frank Broadbend of Broadbent & Partners, Manchester)! On the Tadworth project Goodhart Rendel bowed out early on, and afterwards there were other architects, too, who were dispensed with — an indication that there was no easy path to the design and contract for the church.