Tag: Anglican

W. D. Caröe in Edmonton

St Aldhelm Edmonton, London, N18 1PA

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
‘William Douglas (‘W.D.’) Caröe’ by Lafayette (Lafayette Ltd) whole-plate film negative, 27 June 1930. [Source, National Portrait Gallery, London. Ref: NPG x70476]
Location of St Aldhelm’s church, Silver Street, London N18

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.
Tne main hall (1908) at St Aldhelm’s church, London N18.
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.
St Aldhelm’s church, London N18. Hall, vicarage and church.
Detail of the Vicarage, St Aldhelm’s church, London N18, (1903), by W. D. Caröe
The south side (1903) of St Aldhelm’s church, London N18, by W. D. Caröe.

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.
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 reredos painting of the Ascension is by Walter Percival Starmer (1871–1961).
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.
Under the west gallery of St Aldhem’s church, London N18 (W. D. Caroe, 1903) in 2017.
St Aldhelm’s church, London N18 (W. D. Caroe, 1903), looking west, 2017.
St Aldhelm’s church, London N18, by W. D. Caröe (1903), looking east.

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 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.
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 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) 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) 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.
‘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) on the south side of the west wall 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-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)
Internal south-east-entrance doors 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)
Door between choir and clergy vestries 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).

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.

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.
Detail of ironwork on the the font cover 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.

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

St Pancras Old Church …

St Pancras Old Church, Pancras Road, Camden Town, London NW1 1UL

St Pancras Old Church, London NW1, showing its relationship to St Pancras station and the Regent’s Canal.
The location of St Pancars Old Church, London NW!
St Pancras Old Church, London NW1, south side, 2008. Source: Stephen McKay, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13429363
St Pancras Old Church, London NW1. A contemporary plan showing the position of funerary monuments. Source: Survey of London.
St Pancras Old Church, London Nw1. Chancel, 2009. Source: John Salmon, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14254299

I have recently had the opportunity to revisit the medieval church of  Old St Pancras to help out with the music for the main Sunday service there. This was a rather nostalgic visit since I was organist there immediately after my days as a post-graduate organ student at the Royal Academy of Music (1980-81), and I subsequently taught for a while at the parish school.

Old St Pancras church is modest in scale, comprising just an unaisled nave and chancel with a 19th-century tower on the south side. The history of Old St Pancras church is well documented, dating from at least Saxon times while some would claim that the site dates back to the days of the Roman occupation. Images and maps showing the building in its setting are plentiful.

A 16th-century plan of the estate of St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, showing Old St Pancras Church and its surroundings. Source: Survey of London.
Anon (c.1775) ‘Sketch of St Pancras fields and distant view of St Pancras Old Church.’ Source: London Metropolitan Archive, ref. p5381780
The Long Room at St Pancras Wells, with Old St Pancras Church behind. [Early 18th century]. Source: Survey of London.
St Pancras Old Church, London NW1. The church depicted around 1752. Source: Survey of London.
St Pancras Old Church, London NW1. The church depicted before 1815. Source: Survey of London.
St Pancras Old Church, London NW1. The church depicted before 1848. Source: Survey of London.
Anon. ‘The south west view of St Pancras Church and the Wells’ (1750) Source: London Mteropolitan Archive, ref.19970.

There was a major rebuilding project in 1848 by the partnership of Alexander D. Gough (1804–71) and Robert Lewis Roumieu (1814–77). At this time, when the  old tower was relocated and redesigned, Continue reading “St Pancras Old Church …”

A Mission to Hackney

St Mary-of-Eton, Hackney Wick, London E9 5JA

Hackney Wick is an ancient settlement in the east of London, once owned by the Templars; ‘Wick’ is derived from a Saxon term denoting a small settlement. Hackney Wick is situated at the southern-most edge of Hackney Marshes, on the west bank of the tidal River Lea, close to the point where it empties into the Thames. Even today some large open tracts of land remain, now used mostly for sports and recreation, not least venues for the 2012 London Olympics.

Hackney Wick
Map of Hackney Marsh, London c.2012
Hackney Wick canalside, 2012
Hackney Marsh c2000
Hackney Wick canalside, c2013
The River Lea and the London Olympic[ic Park c2015 (www.flickr.com/photos/simon__syon/)

Canalisation of the River Lea began in the late eighteenth century and from then until the later twentieth century the Hackney Wick waterside became an industrial zone taking advantage of the plentiful supplies of water and easy access to the London Docks; smelting works, paper mills paint making, and other chemical-based process were pioneered here. For example the earliest plastics, Parkesine and shellac, were first commercially produced in Hackney Wick, as too the first dry-cleaning agents and a number of synthetic dyes.

Parkesine factory, Hackney Wick, London, c.2013
Factory buildings viewed across a field, near Hackney Wick c1795
Berger paint factory, Hackney Wick, London c1900
Factory buildings near Hackney Wick c1795
View of farm buildings near a stream in Hackney Wick c1795
Hackney Wick canalside, c2013

With industrialisation came a massive population increase, since in those days workers lived close to where they worked. Six thousand people lived in Hackney Wick by 1879. The nearby Rover Lea was heavily polluted by factory effluent and sewerage. In the 1880s the social reformer Charles Booth mapped Hackney Wick and noted that most of the the inhabitants were very poor and in extreme want.

The location of St Mary-of-Eton church London E9, c.1898, from William Booth’s ‘Life and Labour of the People in London’: http://booth.lse.ac.uk
The location of St Mary-of-Eton church London E9, c.1898, from William Booth’s ‘Life and Labour of the People in London’: http://booth.lse.ac.uk
The location of St Mary-of-Eton church London E9, c.2000.
The location of St Mary-of-Eton church London E9, c.2000.

At about this time Eton School opened an Anglican mission in Hackney Wick, where there had not previously been a church presence. This became the parish of St Mary of Etion and a fine Gothic-revival church was built (1890-92) to the design of  G. F. Bodley (1827–1907) & Thomas Garner (1839–1906), extended in 1911-12 by C. G. Hare (1875–1932).

St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, viewed from the south east c.1906
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, looking south-west, c.2000
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, the sanctuary c.2013
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, bell-tower gate and courtyard flanked by church (r) and hall (l), c.1950
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, viewed from the north east c.1892
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, from the south east c.2000
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, the pulpit c.2013
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, looking west, c.2000
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, from the north east c.2000
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9; looking east c.2000

From 1959 and throughout the 1960s the Eton MIssion developed a thriving youth club (the 59 Club), hosting up-and-coming bands such as such as Cliff Richard and the Shadows, seen here entertaining Princess Margaret when she visited the Eton Mission in 1962. Although the youth club is no more its motorcycle section is still-thriving as the ’59 Club’, as are the Eton Mission Rowing Club and several football and rugby clubs.

Eton School continued active support of the church until the 1970s. At about the same time all heavy industry began to leave the area. After many years of decline and social deprivation Hackney Wick is now experiencing rapid post-industrial regeneration driven by the arrival of high-tech and creative industries that are taking advantage of the former factory sites and now very pleasant waterside situations. A major and much-acclaimed restoration and redevelopment of the church and its adjacent property was concluded in 2015, providing housing and new church facilities, while retaining the original church intact.

St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, west front, showing 2015 residential additions, c.2016.
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, interior, looking north-east, c.2016
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, viewed from the south west, new buildings c.2015
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, looking west, c.2015
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9,; the sanctuary c.2015

In 1965 a fine two-manual organ was installed in the church at a cost of £3,500 by the firm of Grant, Degens and Rippin (1965), their opus 12. This instrument replaced the existing organ (1898) made by the firm of J. W. Walker. Very little of the old instrument was retained, apart from a few bass pipes. The new organ featured in an EMI recording of some of J. S. Bach’s chorale preludes played by the organist Simon Preston accompanied by the English Singers (ref. HQS 1131).

Even today, the instrument has a bold contemporary appearance; its stark  unenclosed pipework sits on a high platform at the south-west end of the nave. The console was originally placed on a platform opposite but following the full restoration of the organ (2015), during the church’s restoration and redevelopment, the console is now on the floor of the church at the south-east,

St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, interior, looking sotuh-west, c.2016, showing the organ (1965)
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, organ-builder’s plate, c.2016
St Mary of Eton, Hackney Wick, London; the organ restoration funder’s plate 2016
St Mary-of-Eton church (1890), London E9, organ console and sanctuary, 2016
St Mary of Eton, Hackney Wick, London; the organ console 2016