The Church of the Annunciation, Marble Arch, is a

Church of England parish church A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within each Church of England parish (the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative unit; since the 19th century sometimes ca ...

in the Marble Arch district of London, England. It is dedicated to the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is a

Gothic revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

building designed by Sir Walter Tapper and built in 1912–1913. It is a Grade II* listed building. Worship at the Annunciation is Anglo-Catholic and is supported by a tradition of choral singing. The church is closely linked to a local primary school, Hampden Gurney School.

History

The Church is near

Bryanston Square Bryanston Square is an garden square in Marylebone, London. Terraced buildings surround it — often merged, converted or sub-divided, some of which remain residential. The southern end has the William Pitt Byrne memorial fountain. Next t ...

and Montagu Square in the neoclassical Portman Estate area of London, which was developed by

Henry William Portman Henry William Portman (died 11 January 1796) was an 18th-century housing developer, the ancestor of the Viscounts Portman. Biography He was the son and heir of Henry William Berkeley Portman (d.1761), MP, by his wife Anne Fitch. His grandfather ...

in the 18th century. A

chapel of ease A chapel of ease (or chapel-of-ease) is a church architecture, church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently. Often a chapel of ea ...

called the Quebec Chapel was founded on the present site in 1787 to commemorate the Battle of Quebec. It is thought that this chapel was built on the site of the riding school of the Portman Barracks. By the early 20th century the chapel had fallen into disrepair and it was demolished in 1911. Among the priests-in-charge of the Quebec Chapel was the theologian and hymnodist,

Henry Alford Henry Alford (7 October 181012 January 1871) was an English churchman, theologian, textual critic, scholar, poet, hymnodist, and writer. Life Alford was born in London, of a Somerset family, which had given five consecutive generations of cl ...

, who wrote the hymn " Come, ye thankful people, come". The Annunciation Church has always been closely associated with the Anglo-Catholic movement started in the mid 19th century, and in the early part of the 20th century many of its adherents were strongly opposed to the growing Ecumenical movement. In May 1951 an interdenominational Christian rally was held in nearby

Hyde Park Hyde Park may refer to: Places England * Hyde Park, London, a Royal Park in Central London * Hyde Park, Leeds, an inner-city area of north-west Leeds * Hyde Park, Sheffield, district of Sheffield * Hyde Park, in Hyde, Greater Manchester Austra ...

to coincide with the launch of the Festival of Britain. A number of Anglo-Catholic clergy and lay people, led by Rev. Hugh Ross Williamson, held a protest meeting at the Annunciation Church to express their opposition to Bishops of the Church of England sharing a platform with Methodists,

Baptists Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...

and other Non-Conformist churches, organisations which, in their opinion, did "not accept the traditional Faith of the Church". In a signed letter, they expressed the concern that "the participation of the Church of England may give the additional impression that Roman Catholics are the only religious body which defend the full Catholic Faith." The poet

John Betjeman Sir John Betjeman (; 28 August 190619 May 1984) was an English poet, writer, and broadcaster. He was Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death. He was a founding member of The Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture, ...

was among the signatories; although he admitted to

T. S. Eliot Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 18884 January 1965) was a poet, essayist, publisher, playwright, literary critic and editor.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National Biogr ...

(a fellow Anglo-Catholic and a churchwarden of St Stephen's, Gloucester Road) that he found the tone of the protest "somewhat extreme", he nevertheless declared "I have nailed my colours to the mast and cannot let down my co-signatories." Rose Macaulay, a novelist, also commented on the protest at the Annunciation, expressing dismay at opposition to the rally.

Architecture

The present church was designed by the English architect Sir Walter Tapper and built in 1912–1913. Tapper was a pupil of George Frederick Bodley, a leading designer of Mediæval revival architecture. It is a tall red brick church designed in the Late

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

(or Edwardian Gothic) style. It features stone dressings and flying buttresses and a gabled bell tower. The single bell was cast in 1913 by John Warner & Sons of Spitalfields. Nikolaus Pevsner referred to the church in his '' Buildings of England'' as "a fragment of a major medieval church". The interior has a

rood screen The rood screen (also choir screen, chancel screen, or jubé) is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, or ...

with a high triumphal crucifix over an arch that is thought to have been crafted by Robert Bridgeman of Lichfield to designs by Tapper. The high altar

reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular architecture, for ex ...

was designed by Tapper and made by Jack Bewsey who also designed most of the stained glass. Around the nave are plaster cast

Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Way of Sorrows or the Via Crucis, refers to a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and accompanying prayers. The station ...

Aloïs de Beule Aloïs De Beule (27 August 1861 in Zele – 15 December 1935 in Ghent) was a Belgian sculptor. Biography Aged ten he entered his father's shoemaking business. He studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and the Sint-Lucasschool in Ghent where h ...

of Ghent. The

lapidarium A lapidarium is a place where stone (Latin: ) monuments and fragments of archaeological interest are exhibited. They can include stone epigraphy, epigraphs; statues; architectural elements such as columns, cornices, and acroterions; bas reliefs ...

spanning the arch between the sanctuary and the Lady Chapel was designed by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin and originally hung above the high altar of

St Chad's Cathedral, Birmingham The Metropolitan Cathedral Church and Basilica of Saint Chad is a Catholic cathedral in Birmingham, England. It is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Birmingham and is dedicated to Saint Chad of Mercia. Designed by Augustus Welby Pugin and ...

. The organ was built in 1915 by Sir

Frederick Rothwell Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Nobility Anhalt-Harzgerode * Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) Austria * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198 * Frederi ...

with a case also designed by Tapper. The organ underwent restoration by Bishop & Son organ builders in 1989. Statue outside the Church of the Annunciation in Bryanston Street - geograph

Statue outside the Church of the Annunciation in Bryanston Street - geograph

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Annunciation, Marble Arch 1913 establishments in England 20th-century Church of England church buildings Marble Arch Marble Arch Churches completed in 1913 Diocese of London Edwardian architecture in London Gothic Revival church buildings in London Grade II* listed churches in the City of Westminster Portman estate