History talk, Heritage Trail and Exhibition

The Grade II* buildings at Sacred Heart High School are a hidden gem, designed by John Francis Bentley, the architect of Westminster Cathedral. The site is largely shielded from Hammersmith Road by a long wall. It's only once you enter, through the small blue door, that you realise the wonder and extent of this site. We have been researching the history of this place and have uncovered the most extraordinary stories.

The unusual longevity of women’s activism, royalty, subterfuge, escape and resistance: a Catholic queen operating behind the back of the English court; a clandestine convent founded in 1669 by the feminist IBVM; feisty nuns in disguise; a secret girls’ school; a duplicitous young priest’s own account of capture here in 1680 and how he persuaded the court to free him; nuns lying in court to save lives; refugees finding sanctuary after imprisonment by Robespierre.

After becoming the first seminary in London after the Reformation, it quickly returned to its convent-school roots in 1893 with the Society of the Sacred Heart, adding 130m of cloister wall-paintings depicting the life of Christ and a stained-glass window.

We have only very recently discovered the sisters' audacious 1904 plan to save heritage from France before church properties were seized and how the nuns dismantled and smuggled out seven pipe-organs! Some of these were sent as far afield as Australia and Argentina but their really valuable Loret organ was delivered here and quietly reassembled at the back of our chapel. None of us had any idea about that- it turns out to be the rarest pipe-organ in the UK (!!) and we are fundraising now to restore it.

For the OPEN HOUSE DAY we will be hosting (twice) a talk in the chapel (with comfortable upholstered seats) about the history of this place and those who have shaped it -just as an overview (approx. 40 minutes). We have hugely popular longer talks here which are being repeated one in October and a different one in May, which you can book to attend if this captures your interest.

After the talk we will provide you with a plan and some annotated information as a heritage trail and you can explore parts of the site including the cloister paintings, our sheltered cloister garden, the old wood paneled seminary dining room, and the main frontage of the existing building (now at the back).

The cloister paintings are being restored in stages and its interesting to be able to see on unrestored sections, where the varnish has chipped off, revealing the original colour below. You will also be able to see some of the restored sections to compare with the rest.

We will have some cordial refreshments.

We will do this in the morning and then repeat the same thing in the afternoon.

Door open 9.40am

(Free) ticketed talk: 10.00-10.40am then wander round with heritage trail and exhibition
(Free) ticketed talk: 2.00-2.40pm then wander round with heritage trail and exhibition

Free access for just Heritage Trail and exhibition from 9.40, site closes at 4pm.

Chapel

No food or drink in the chapel please. We will provide refreshments in the cloisters.