All Saints' Parish Hall

The site is in a prominent, elevated position in Blackheath village on the south-western edge of Blackheath Common. Today it is at the junction of Tranquil Vale, Southvale Road and Camden Row. From around 1779, the site was occupied by a mansion called Camden House, later better known as Rashleigh's House. Living there was Thomas Rashleigh (1749—13 September 1833), an attorney with family connections in Cornwall — his older brother was William Rashleigh (MP for Fowey). In 1837, this building was replaced by a group of six shops, numbered 1–6 Camden Place (51–61 Tranquil Vale). During World War I, on 24 August 1916, the site was hit overnight by a bomb from a German Zeppelin airship, which…

On 29 September 1928, the parish hall was blessed by the Bishop of Woolwich, Dr William Hough (1859–1934), with a dance in the evening with 200 people and music supplied by the Granville Orchestra. On 3 November 1928 the hall was formally opened by Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein (1872–1956), granddaughter of Queen Victoria. A Christmas event was also held, with the singing of carols, a decorated tree, and Bethlehem tableaux. The four downstairs rooms (known as clubrooms) were named after patron saints, and the colour scheme was cream and brown, with blue curtains on the stage. The fundraising for the building was completed on May Day 1930, with the vicar sitting from 9am to 7pm…