St Thomas the Apostle, Hanwell

From 1995 to 2011, as a traditionalist Anglo-Catholic church that rejected the ordination of women as priests, the parish received alternative episcopal oversight from the Bishop of Fulham.

The building is on a north east axis with a tall square north-east bell tower with a green copper cap sitting astride the northern wall.

The interior, in contrast to the straight lines of the outside, has plain curvilinear Gothic piers which draw the eyes up to a high fan vaulted ceiling.

Standing at the west end of the nave one can see that by Maufe placing the bell tower to one side, he has been able to keep the ceiling in one level plain so increasing the sense of spaciousness.

[4] Also placed centrally at the west end of the nave, is the straight sided octagonal stone font, this is also the work of Vernon Hill.

At the centre of its simple design is carved a symbolic motif of a fish entwine around an anchored cross with the Koine Greek acronym ΙΧΘΥΣ inscribed vertically down the left side.

High in the west window, the glass has been shaped in the centre panel so that the lead came forms the Labarum symbol of Chi (χ) and Rho (ρ).

With such a wide range of light and shadow: vistas that change with the position of the observer, Maufe has given a spatial richness to the building which is normally only found in large ancient cathedrals.