St Augustine's, Kilburn

St Augustine's, Kilburn


Location	City of Westminster, London
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Anglo-Catholic
History
Founder(s)	Richard Carr Kirkpatrick
Dedicated	1880
Architecture
Architect(s)	John Loughborough Pearson
Years built	1871–1897
Administration
Diocese	London
Clergy
Bishop(s)	Bishop of Fulham (AEO)
Vicar(s)	Colin J. Amos
Archdeacon	Archdeacon of Charing Cross

Saint Augustine's, Kilburn, is a Church of England church in the area of Kilburn,^[1] in North London, England. Because of its large size and ornate architecture, it is sometimes affectionately referred to as "the Cathedral of North London",^[2] although the church is not a cathedral in any official sense.

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History

St Augustine's was founded by Richard Carr Kirkpatrick in the Anglo-Catholic 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 church designed by John Loughborough Pearson. It is listed as a Grade I building by Historic England.^[3]

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. The church was consecrated in 1880, but the tower and spire, remarkable for such structures in the Victorian era, were not constructed until 1897–1898.^[4] Sir Giles Gilbert Scott designed the reredos (altar screens) for the high altar in 1930. He also designed the reredos of the Lady Chapel and the Stations of the Cross. 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."^[5]

The spire measures more than 77 metres (253 feet) high. Completed in 1878, the nave measures nine metres (28 feet) wide with nine bays and a crossing that is bounded by transepts on the north and south sides. The religious art in various forms depicts most of the major biblical stories. Clayton and Bell created the stained glass windows, which include a large rose window depicting the Creation, nine clerestory windows (five depicting types of angels), nave windows depicting saints connected with England, a window depicting Saint Augustine and several other tall lancet windows. Paintings around the nave depict the healing ministry of Christ. The chancel and sanctuary are surrounded by densely-carved sculptural forms representing the Passion, Crucifixion, Entombment, and Resurrection of Christ, as well as the Apostles, saints and other religious iconography. The south transept leads to St Michael's Chapel with depictions of the Eucharist, sacrifice, angels and the worship of Heaven. The Lady Chapel presents frescoes of the Christ child and a later carving of Christ's Presentation in the Temple.^[6]

The nave (looking east)
The rood screen
The nave (looking west)
The sanctuary

Today

The church stands prominently to the south of Kilburn and the north of Maida Vale. 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, received an evangelical vicar unsympathetic to the Anglo-Catholic movement (also referred to as the Oxford Movement, "Tractarians" or disparagingly as "Puseyites" after one of the founders of the movement, Edward Bouverie Pusey). Kirkpatick clothed Emily Ayckbowm as the founding sister of the Community of the Sisters of the Church here in 1870.^[7] 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 (1985), for the church of the Reverend Duncan Nesbitt (played by Donald Eccles). 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 CGI-animated character in any feature film.^[8]^[9]

Gallery

West rose window
Western arcade
The font
Pulpit
Statues on the Rood Screen
The Rood flanked by Saints Mary and John
Painting north-west, Christ among the Doctors
The sanctuary pavement
Throne in the sanctuary
Chapel of St Michael
Altar in the Lady Chapel

References

^ Although in the Kilburn area, the church is located just within the boundaries of the City of Westminster – see map^{[permanent dead link]} for exact location
^ "History". www.staugustine.london. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
^ "A Church Near You" website, Church of England, accessed 2 March 2008, http://www.acny.org.uk/venue.php?V=15756^{[permanent dead link]}.
^ Humphrey, Stephen and James Morris, Churches and Cathedrals of London, New Holland Publishers (London), 2006.
^ Edward Walford, Old and New London: Volume 5, British History website, accessed 2 March 2008, http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=45234
^ Saint Augustine, Kilburn website, accessed 2 March. 2008, http://www.saint-augustine.org.uk/section/14 Archived 23 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
^ "Ayckbowm, Emily Harriet Elizabeth [known as Mother Emily] (1836–1900), Anglican nun". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/51385. Retrieved 16 November 2021. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Visual and Special Effects Film Milestones". www.filmsite.org. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
^ "Section 14: CGI in the movies". 26 January 2014. Archived from the original on 26 January 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2019.