Saint Augustine's, Kilburn, is a
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
church in the area of
Kilburn, in North London, United Kingdom. Because of its large size and ornate architecture, it is sometimes affectionately referred to as "the Cathedral of North London", although the church is not a cathedral in any official sense.
History
St Augustine's was founded by Richard Carr Kirkpatrick in the
Anglo-Catholic
Anglo-Catholicism comprises beliefs and practices that emphasise the Catholic heritage and identity of the various Anglican churches.
The term was coined in the early 19th century, although movements emphasising the Catholic nature of Anglican ...
tradition in 1870. By 1871, a foundation stone had been laid and the original "iron church" was subsequently replaced by a much more ambitious building, 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 ...
church designed by
John Loughborough Pearson
John Loughborough Pearson (5 July 1817 – 11 December 1897) was a British Gothic Revival architect renowned for his work on churches and cathedrals. Pearson revived and practised largely the art of vaulting, and acquired in it a proficiency ...
. It is listed as a Grade I building by
Historic England
Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked wit ...
.
Architecture
Pearson's plans called for a red brick structure, vaulted ceilings, and extensive interior stone sculpture in a style reminiscent of 13th-century
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 ...
. The church was consecrated in 1880, but the
tower
A tower is a tall Nonbuilding structure, structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from guyed mast, masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting ...
and
spire
A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spires are ...
, remarkable for such structures in the Victorian era, were not constructed until 1897–1898. Sir
Giles Gilbert Scott
Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (9 November 1880 – 8 February 1960) was a British architect known for his work on the New Bodleian Library, Cambridge University Library, Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, Battersea Power Station, Liverpool Cathedral, and d ...
designed the
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 ...
(altar screens) for the
high altar
An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paganis ...
in 1930. He also designed the reredos of the
Lady Chapel
A Lady chapel or lady chapel is a traditional British term for a chapel dedicated to "Our Lady", Mary, mother of Jesus, particularly those inside a cathedral or other large church. The chapels are also known as a Mary chapel or a Marian chapel, an ...
and the
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 ...
. In 1878, two years prior to the dedication of the church, contemporary historian Edward Walford had already referred to St Augustine's, Kilburn, as "one of the finest examples of
ecclesiastical structures in London".
The spire measures more than high. Completed in 1878, the
nave
The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
measures nine metres (28 feet) wide with nine bays and a
crossing that is bounded by
transepts
A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building withi ...
on the north and south sides. The
religious art
Religious art is artistic imagery using religious inspiration and motifs and is often intended to uplift the mind to the spiritual. Sacred art involves the ritual and cultic practices and practical and operative aspects of the path of the spiritu ...
in various forms depicts most of the major biblical stories.
Clayton and Bell
Clayton and Bell was one of the most prolific and proficient British workshops of stained-glass windows during the latter half of the 19th century and early 20th century. The partners were John Richard Clayton (1827–1913) and Alfred Bell (1832 ...
created the
stained glass windows
Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...
, which include a large
rose window
Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in Gothic cathedrals and churches. The windows are divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery. The term ''rose window'' w ...
depicting
the Creation, nine
clerestory
In architecture, a clerestory ( ; , also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey) is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both.
Historically, ''clerestory'' denoted an upper l ...
windows (five depicting types of angels), nave windows depicting saints connected with England, a window depicting
Saint Augustine
Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Af ...
and several other tall
lancet windows
A lancet window is a tall, narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural element are typical of Gothic church edifices of the earliest period. Lancet wi ...
. Paintings around the nave depict the healing ministry of Christ. The
chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse.
Ove ...
and
sanctuary
A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a saf ...
are surrounded by densely-carved sculptural forms representing the
Passion,
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross or beam and left to hang until eventual death from exhaustion and asphyxiation. It was used as a punishment by the Persians, Carthagin ...
,
Entombment
Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...
, and
Resurrection
Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. In a number of religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and is resurrected. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions, which ...
of Christ, as well as the
Apostles
An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...
,
saint
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...
s and other religious
iconography
Iconography, as a branch of art history, studies the identification, description and interpretation of the content of images: the subjects depicted, the particular compositions and details used to do so, and other elements that are distinct fro ...
. The south transept leads to
St Michael
Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...
's Chapel with depictions of the
Eucharist
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...
, sacrifice,
angel
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
s and the
worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. It may involve one or more of activities such as veneration, adoration, praise, and praying. For many, worship is not about an emotion, it is more about a recognition ...
of
Heaven
Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...
. The Lady Chapel presents frescoes of the Christ child and a later carving of Christ's
Presentation in the Temple
A presentation conveys information from a speaker to an audience. Presentations are typically demonstrations, introduction, lecture, or speech meant to inform, persuade, inspire, motivate, build goodwill, or present a new idea/product. Presenta ...
.
File:St Augustine's Church, Kilburn Interior 1, London, UK - Diliff.jpg, The nave (looking east)
File:St Augustine's Church, Kilburn Interior 2, London, UK - Diliff.jpg, The rood screen
File:St Augustine's Church, Kilburn Interior 3, London, UK - Diliff.jpg, The nave (looking west)
File:St Augustine's Church, Kilburn Interior 4, London, UK - Diliff.jpg, The sanctuary
Today
The church stands prominently to the south of
Kilburn and the north of
Maida Vale
Maida Vale ( ) is an affluent residential district consisting of the northern part of Paddington in West London, west of St John's Wood and south of Kilburn. It is also the name of its main road, on the continuous Edgware Road. Maida Vale is p ...
. It has two schools, St Augustine's Primary School and
St Augustine's High School.
Congregational history
Richard Carr Kirkpatrick served as parish priest at Saint Augustine, Kilburn, from 1870 to 1907. He formed the church after his parish at St Mary's, Kilburn, where he served as
curate
A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'') ''of souls'' of a parish. In this sense, "curate" means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy w ...
, received an evangelical vicar unsympathetic to the Anglo-Catholic movement (also referred to as the
Oxford Movement
The Oxford Movement was a movement of high church members of the Church of England which began in the 1830s and eventually developed into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose original devotees were mostly associated with the University of O ...
, "Tractarians" or disparagingly as "Puseyites" after one of the founders of the movement,
Edward Bouverie Pusey
Edward Bouverie Pusey (; 22 August 180016 September 1882) was an English Anglican cleric, for more than fifty years Regius Professor of Hebrew at the University of Oxford. He was one of the leading figures in the Oxford Movement.
Early years
H ...
). Kirkpatick clothed
Emily Ayckbowm as the founding sister of the
Community of the Sisters of the Church
The Community of the Sisters of the Church is a religious order of women in various Anglican provinces who live the vowed life of poverty, chastity and obedience. In 2012 the order had 105 sisters living in community, together with an extensive ne ...
here in 1870.
Kirkpatrick was followed in the vicarage by:
*Philip Leary, 1907–1930
*William Percy Theodore Atkinson, 1930–1954
*Harold Riley, 1955–1975
*Claude Eric Hampson, 1975–1977
*Raymond John Avent, 1977–1987
*Paul Tudor Rivers, 1987–1994
*Anthony H. Yates, 1995–2011
*Colin J. Amos, 2012–present
In popular culture
The interior of St Augustine's Church was used in the filming of ''
Young Sherlock Holmes
''Young Sherlock Holmes'' (also known with the title card name of "''Young Sherlock Holmes and the Pyramid of Fear''") is a 1985 American mystery adventure film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Chris Columbus, based on the characters ...
'' (1985), for the church of the Reverend Duncan Nesbitt (played by
Donald Eccles
Donald Eccles (26 April 1908 – 2 February 1986) was a British character actor.
Donald Yarrow Eccles was born in Nafferton, Yorkshire on 26 April 1908 the son of Charles Henry and Constance Eccles; his father was a doctor. Eccles was educated ...
). In the scene, Nesbitt is hit by a poison dart, and begins hallucinating about one of the stained glass figures (a knight) coming alive and trying to kill him. This knight is noted for being the first fully
photorealistic
Photorealism is a genre of art that encompasses painting, drawing and other graphic media, in which an artist studies a photograph and then attempts to reproduce the image as realistically as possible in another medium. Although the term can be ...
CGI-animated character in any feature film.
Gallery
File:St Augustine's Church, Kilburn Park Road, London NW6 - Window - geograph.org.uk - 996210.jpg, West rose window
File:St Augustine's Church, Kilburn Park Road, London NW6 - geograph.org.uk - 996187.jpg, Western arcade
File:St Augustine's Church, Kilburn Park Road, London NW6 - Font - geograph.org.uk - 995923.jpg, The font
File:St Augustine's Church, Kilburn Park Road, London NW6 - Pulpit - geograph.org.uk - 995938.jpg, Pulpit
File:St Augustine's Church, Kilburn Park Road, London NW6 - geograph.org.uk - 995965.jpg, Statues on the Rood Screen
File:St Augustine's Church, Kilburn Park Road, London NW6 - Rood - geograph.org.uk - 995953.jpg, The Rood flanked by Saints Mary and John
File:St Augustine's Church, Kilburn Park Road, London NW6 - geograph.org.uk - 995986.jpg, Painting north-west, ''Christ among the Doctors
The Finding in the Temple, also called Christ among the Doctors or the Disputation (the usual names in art), was an episode in the early life of Jesus depicted in Luke 2, chapter 2 of the Gospel of Luke. It is the only event of the later childho ...
''
File:St Augustine's Church, Kilburn Park Road, London NW6 - Sanctuary floor - geograph.org.uk - 995871.jpg, The sanctuary pavement
File:St Augustine's Church, Kilburn Park Road, London NW6 - geograph.org.uk - 995916.jpg, Throne in the sanctuary
File:St Augustine's Church, Kilburn Interior 5, London, UK - Diliff.jpg, Chapel of St Michael
File:St Augustine's Church, Kilburn Park Road, London NW6 - geograph.org.uk - 995931.jpg, Altar in the Lady Chapel
See also
*
List of new ecclesiastical buildings by J. L. Pearson
John Loughborough Pearson (1817–97) was an English architect whose works were mainly ecclesiastical. He was born in Brussels, United Kingdom of the Netherlands, and spent his childhood in Durham, England, Durham. Pearson started his architectu ...
References
External links
*
Official parish website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Augustine's, Kilburn
Churches completed in 1880
19th-century Church of England church buildings
Grade I listed churches in the City of Westminster
Kilburn
Gothic Revival church buildings in London
Kilburn
Diocese of London
History of the Church of England
Kilburn, St Augustine's
Kilburn, London
Kilburn