W. D. Caröe in Edmonton

The parish of St Aldhelm in Edmonton, north London is a modest late-c19/early-c20 residential area of terraced streets with a rather fine church.

The location of St Aldhelm’s church, London, N18 1PA

Location of St Aldhelm’s church, Silver Street, London N18

‘William Douglas (‘W.D.’) Caröe’ by Lafayette (Lafayette Ltd) whole-plate film negative, 27 June 1930. [Source, National Portrait Gallery, London. Ref: NPG x70476]

The church was built in 1903 to the designs of W. D. Caröe (1857–1938), and replaces an earlier temporary ‘tin tabernacle’ building. The present building is summed up as “a homely Arts and Crafts version of a basilican church, using free Perpendicular detail“. In 1907 a vicarage – also by Caröe – was built immediately north of the church. The halls date from 1883 and 1907-8; architect currently unknown. (Cherry & Pevsner, 63).

The seast end (1903) of St Aldhelm’s church, London N18, by W. D. Caröe.

St Aldhelm’s church, London N18. Hall, vicarage and church.

The first church of St Aldhelm, London N18, replaced 1903.

The west fron (1903) of St Aldhelm’s church, London N18, by W. D. Caröe.

The south side (1903) of St Aldhelm’s church, London N18, by W. D. Caröe.

Detail of the Vicarage, St Aldhelm’s church, London N18, (1903), by W. D. Caröe

Tne main hall (1908) at St Aldhelm’s church, London N18.

This well-maintained church building comprises a chancel, north organ chamber, vestries and a south chapel, aisled nave with west gallery and bell turret (2 bells). The lower half of each nave pillar is panelled and painted, originally dark green. (Cherry & Pevsner, 423).

St Aldhelm’s church, London N18, by W. D. Caröe (1903), the sanctuary. The reredos painting of the Ascension is by Walter Percival Starmer (1871–1961).

St Aldhelm’s church, London N18 (W. D. Caroe, 1903), looking west, 2017.

Under the west gallery of St Aldhem’s church, London N18 (W. D. Caroe, 1903) in 2017.

St Aldhelm’s church, London N18, by W. D. Caröe (1903), looking east.

St Aldhelm’s church, London N18 (W. D. Caroe, 1903), panelled aisle pillars, 2017.

St Aldhelm’s church, London N18 (W. D. Caroe, 1903), view north-east, 2017.

St Aldhelm’s church, London N18, by W. D. Caröe (1903), looking west.

St Aldhelm’s church, London N18, by W. D. Caröe (1903), the sanctuary.

The arrtist Walter Percival Starmer (1871–1961) was employed (1947-8) to provide additional decoration in memory of the parish dead of the Second World War, specifically a delicate scheme of stained glass and an imposing reredos painting of the Ascension. (Another ecclesiastical scheme by Starmer can be found at the church of  St-Jude-on-the-Hill in Hampstead, London; stained glass and murals).

Stained glass (1947-8) by W. P Starmer (1871–1961) in the south aisle of St Aldhelm’s church, London N18, in 2017.

Stained glass (1947-8) by W. P Starmer (1871–1961) in the south aisle of St Aldhelm’s church, London N18, in 2017.

Stained glass (1947-8) by W. P Starmer (1871–1961) in the north aisle of St Aldhelm’s church, London N18, in 2017.

Stained glass (1947-8) by W. P Starmer (1871–1961) on the south side of the west wall of St Aldhelm’s church, London N18, in 2017.

Stained glass (1947-8) by W. P Starmer (1871–1961) in the south aisle of St Aldhelm’s church, London N18, in 2017.

Stained glass (1947-8) by W. P Starmer (1871–1961) in the south aisle of St Aldhelm’s church, London N18, in 2017.

Stained glass (1947-8) by W. P Starmer (1871–1961) in the south aisle of St Aldhelm’s church, London N18, in 2017.

Stained glass (1947-8) by W. P Starmer (1871–1961) on the south side of the west wall of St Aldhelm’s church, London N18, in 2017.

Stained glass (1947-8) by W. P Starmer (1871–1961) in the Lady Chapel of St Aldhelm’s church, London N18, in 2017.

Stained glass (1947-8) by W. P Starmer (1871–1961) in the north aisle of St Aldhelm’s church, London N18, in 2017.

Stained glass (1947-8) by W. P Starmer (1871–1961) in the south aisle of St Aldhelm’s church, London N18, in 2017.

Stained glass (1947-8) by W. P Starmer (1871–1961) in the north aisle of St Aldhelm’s church, London N18, in 2017.

Stained glass (1947-8) by W. P Starmer (1871–1961) in the north aisle of St Aldhelm’s church, London N18, in 2017.

‘The Ascension’, painting by W. P. Starmer ((1871–1961) above the main altar in the church of St Aldhelm, London N18 (W. D. Caroe, 1903), in 2017.

Stained glass (1947-8) by W. P Starmer (1871–1961) in the north aisle of St Aldhelm’s church, London N18, in 2017.

Each of the internal doors is made to its own design with distinctive metalwork … as these examples demonstrate

Internal south-east-entrance doors in 2017, St Aldhelm’s church, London N18 (W. D. Caroe, 1903).

Internal west=entrance doors in 2017, St Aldhelm’s church, London N18 (W. D. Caroe, 1903).

Door from choir vestrey to nave, in 2017, St Aldhelm’s church, London N18 (W. D. Caroe, 1903)

Door from choir vestrey to chancel, in 2017, St Aldhelm’s church (W. D. Caroe, 1903)

Internal south-west-entrance doors in 2017, St Aldhelm’s church, London N18 (W. D. Caroe, 1903).

Door between choir and clergy vestries in 2017, St Aldhelm’s church, London N18 (W. D. Caroe, 1903)

The pulpit by W. R. Dale (n.d.) came  from the redundant (1951) London church of St Mary, Spital Square. (Cherry & Pevsner, 63). While the brass lectern seems generic of the period the font seems as if it might be part of Caröe ‘s design not least because of the metalwork on the font’s cover.

Detail of ironwork on the the font cover at St Aldhelm’s church, London N18 (W. D. Caroe, 1903), in 2017.

Lectern at St Aldhelm’s church, London N18, in 2017.

Pulpit by W. R. Dale at St Aldhelm’s church, London N18, originally in St Mary Spital, London E1, in 2017.

The font at St Aldhelm’s church, London N18 (W. D. Caroe, 1903) in 2017.

The cost of the new church and vicarage was paid for out of the £36,000 proceeds of the sale of St. Michael Bassishaw church in the City of London (by Christopher Wren, 1679, demolished 1900), a portion of which had already paid for the construction of the nearby church and vicarage of St Michael, Bury Street in Edmonton (also by Caröe, 1901), now converted to secular residential use.

‘St Michael Bassishaw’ by John Coney (1786-1833), engraved by Joseph Skelton (1783-1871) in “Architectura Ecclesiastica Londini; being a Series of Views” (London: J. Booth, 1812).

The former St Miichel’s church and vicarage, Bury Street, London N9, by W. D. Caröe (1901)

The pipe organ

The pipe organ in St Aldhelm’s was built and installed in 1905 by the short-lived north-London firm of Frederick Halliday (fl. 1905-13). Although an unremarkable instrument it is in good condition and quite adequate for accompanying the parish liturgy.

St Aldhelm’s church London N18; the pipe organ (1905) by Frederick Halliday, London.

St Aldhelm’s church London N18; the pipe organ (1905) by Frederick Halliday, London.

St Aldhelm’s church London N18; the pipe organ (1905) by Frederick Halliday, London.

St Aldhelm’s church London N18; the pipe organ (1905) by Frederick Halliday, London.

St Aldhelm’s church London N18; the pipe organ (1905) by Frederick Halliday, London.

St Aldhelm’s church London N18; the pipe organ (1905) by Frederick Halliday, London.

St Aldhelm’s church London N18; the pipe organ (1905) by Frederick Halliday, London.

St Aldhelm’s church London N18; the pipe organ (1905) by Frederick Halliday, London.

Sources

• ‘W. D. Caröe‘ in Wikipedia. Online resource, accessed 21 November 2017.
• ‘Edmonton: Churches’, in A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 5, ed. T F T Baker and R B Pugh (London, 1976), pp. 181-187. British History Online. Online resource accessed 21 November 2017.
• ‘Frederick Hallliday’ in Directory of British Organ Builders (British Institute of Organ Studies, 2017) Online resource, acccessed 21 November 2017.
• ‘St Aldhelm’ in The Buildings of England. London 4: North by B. Cherry and N. Pevsner (London: Tale University Press, 2002), p. 63; p. 423.
• ‘St Aldhelm, Silver Street‘ in The National Pipe Organ Register. Online resource, accessed 21 November 2017.
• ‘St Aldhelm Upper Edmonton‘ in A Church near You (Archbishop’s Council, 2017), Online resource, accessed 21 November 2017.
• ‘St Michael Bassishaw‘ in Wikipedia. Online resource, accessed 21 november 2017.
• Walter Percival Starmer. Artist 1877-1961. Onine resource, accessed 21 November 2017