Foundation The Ascension, Lavender Hill, was principally conceived by Fr John Bourdieu Wilkinson
SSC. As a young man Wilkinson had often sat on
Clapham Common and gazed down upon the blue fields of
lavender which made up the historic
Lavender Hill. He often dreamt that if he ever was called to become a
priest, it would be upon the
Lavender Hill where he would build a
church for the faith to be proclaimed. Francis Bumpus noted the French Cistercian influence on the Ascension, and on his Holy Innocents in Hammersmith, saying that both buildings were "conceived in a bold and vigorous Early Pointed style, recalling such Burgundian examples as Auxerre and Pontigny" and admirably adapted to contemporary requirements. The new church was consecrated for worship by the Bishop of
Bishop of Rochester,
Anthony Thorold, within whose diocese the parish then was, on 30 June 1883.
Fire Just before 7pm on Friday 13 April 1979, which happened to be
Good Friday, a fierce fire broke out, quickly spreading along the church roof, and threatened to destroy the building in its entirety.
The London Fire Brigade sent fire fighters from some six stations, some of whom worked throughout the night to ensure that this historic landmark was saved. The then Parish Priest Fr John Cuthbert
CMP, praised the work of the fire service, recognizing that without their assistance the damage sustained to the building would have been far worse. ==Worship==