St Joseph's Church, Dorking

St Joseph’s Church stands in Falkland Grove, a quiet street in Dorking, Surrey. It is the only Roman Catholic parish church in the town and belongs to the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton. The Dukes of Norfolk, who once owned much of the land around Dorking, helped to found the church in the 19th century. Henry Fitzalan-Howard, the 15th Duke, gave the site and paid part of the building costs. The first temporary church was a simple wooden structure on Coldharbour Lane before the present building was planned. The present church was designed by Frederick Walters and built in 1895 in the Gothic Revival style. It was dedicated as a memorial to Minna Fitzalan-Howard, wife of the duke. A statue of Saint Joseph stands in the garden beside the church. The church also founded a Catholic primary school in 1873, which moved to Norfolk Road in 1970 and is still run by the parish. Inside, the church has high Gothic arches and stained glass windows that fill the space with coloured light. The statue of Saint Joseph looks out over the garden where parishioners gather. The school next door keeps the same name and tradition alive, linking the church’s past with the life of the town today.