Nugent Francis Cachemaille-Day (1896–1976), often referred to as NF Cachemaille-Day, was an English architect who designed some of the most "revolutionary" 20th-century churches in the country. His

Church of St Nicholas, Burnage The Church of St Nicholas, Kingsway, Burnage, Manchester, is a Modernist church of 1930–2 by N. F. Cachemaille-Day, Lander and Welch.Hartwell et al. 2004, p. 410 It was enlarged in 1964 with a bay on the west side, also by Cachemaille ...

has been called "a milestone in the history of church architecture in England." He was a leading British exponent of

Expressionist architecture Expressionist architecture was an architectural movement in Europe during the first decades of the 20th century in parallel with the expressionist visual and performing arts that especially developed and dominated in Germany. Brick Expressionis ...

. After training at the

Architectural Association The Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, commonly referred to as the AA, is the oldest independent school of architecture in the UK and one of the most prestigious and competitive in the world. Its wide-ranging programme ...

, Cachemaille-Day set up practice with Felix Lander and Herbert Welch as "Welch, Cachemaille-Day, and Lander" in 1929. Their work included the Haymills Estate in

Hanger Hill Hanger Hill or Haymills Estate is a local area and ward of the London Borough of Ealing around Hanger Lane (A406 road). It was developed in the interwar period when affluent Londoners began to move out of Central London for more green spaces. Th ...

. In 1935 Cachemaille-Day began an independent practice. Shortly afterwards he designed the

Church of St Michael and All Angels, Northenden The Church of St Michael and All Angels, Orton Road, Lawton Moor, Northenden, Manchester, is an Anglican church of 1935-7 by N. F.Cachemaille-Day.Hartwell et al. 2004, p 493-4 Pevsner describes the church as "sensational for its country a ...

(1936–37), which well illustrates his absorption of "Continental experiments."

Pevsner Pevsner or Pevzner is a Jewish surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Aihud Pevsner (1925–2018), American physicist * Antoine Pevsner (1886–1962), Russian sculptor, brother of Naum Gabo * David Pevsner, American actor, singer, da ...

described it as "a sensational church for its country and its day." From the 1930s he became known for his churches, some of which are the most innovative ecclesiastical buildings of their time. He was one of the leading English architects to embrace the

Liturgical Movement The Liturgical Movement was a 19th-century and 20th-century movement of scholarship for the reform of worship. It began in the Catholic Church and spread to many other Christian churches including the Anglican Communion, Lutheran and some other Pro ...

. Between 1931 and 1963 he designed at least 61 churches, many of which are now

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

s. His churches include

St Alban's Church, Southampton St. Alban's Church, Swaythling, Southampton, stands on Tulip Road, just off the main Burgess Road. The church, and its associated hall, is a Grade II listed building. Creation of the parish The Parish of St. Alban was formed at the beginning o ...

, the

and

St Philip's Church, Avondale Square St Philip's Church, Avondale Square (also known as St Philip the Apostle, Camberwell and St Philip and St Mark's, Camberwell) is a parish church within the Avondale Square Estate in Camberwell in the London Borough of Southwark. It is dedicated ...

. The interior of St Barnabas, in Stroud Road, Gloucester, built at the foot of the Cotswolds in an estate south of the city, distills

Gothic architecture Gothic architecture (or pointed architecture) is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It e ...

into pure, simple gestures of interchanging arches within a huge hall church: the energy and dance of the Gothic is at the heart of this design, setting up a majestic yet lively space, its scale suggesting the ambition of a cathedral builder.

St Edmund, Chingford The Church of St Edmund, Chingford, is a Grade II listed Church of England parish church at Larkswood Road, Chingford, in Greater London. History St Edmund's Church was originally consecrated in January 1909 by the Bishop of St Albans as a chapel ...

, built in 1938, is

Grade II listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

. A pulpit designed by Cachemaille-Day for St-John-at-Hackney church was removed from the church and sold as part of a redevelopment in 2021.

Notes

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cachemaille-Day, Nugent 1896 births 1976 deaths 20th-century English architects English ecclesiastical architects Modernist architects from England