Christ Church, Spitalfields
Christ Church | |
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English Baroque | |
Specifications | |
Number of spires | 1 |
Spire height | 202 feet (62 m) |
Administration | |
Province | Canterbury |
Diocese | London |
Archdeaconry | Hackney[2] |
Clergy | |
Rector | Darren Wolf[3] |
Laity | |
Organist(s) | Gerard Brooks[4] |
Parish: Spittlefields, Stepney Act 1727 | |
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Act of Parliament | |
Long title | An Act for making the Hamlet of Spittle-fields in the Parish of Saint Dunstan Stebunheath, alias Stepney, in the County of Middlesex, a distinct Parish, and for providing a Maintenance for the Minister of such new Parish. |
Citation | 2 Geo. 2. c. 10 |
Text of statute as originally enacted |
Christ Church
The purpose of the Commission was to acquire sites and build fifty new churches to serve London's new settlements. This parish was carved out of the circa 1 square mile (2.6 km2) medieval
The Commissioners for the new churches including Christopher Wren, Thomas Archer and John Vanbrugh appointed two surveyors, one of whom was Nicholas Hawksmoor. Only twelve of the planned fifty churches were built, of which six were designed by Hawksmoor.
Architecture
The architectural composition of Christ Church demonstrates Hawksmoor's usual abruptness: the very plain rectangular box of the
In his book "Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture", Robert Venturi remarks on the tower of Christ Church, Spitalfields as "a manifestation of both-and at the scale of the city. Hawksmoor's tower is both a wall and a tower. Toward the bottom the vista is terminated by the extension of its walls into kinds of buttresses perpendicular to the approaching street. They are seen from only one direction. The top evolves into a spire, which is seen from all sides, spatially and symbolically dominating the skyline of the parish."
Alterations
In 1836, Wallen Son and Beatson, local architects and surveyors, provided a substantial estimate for repairs to the church following a fire.[5] The church was
Churchyard
The churchyard was closed to burials in 1856. It was converted to a public garden by the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association in 1892, laid out to a design by the landscape gardener Fanny Wilkinson. However, it was largely built over by the church school, and only a small portion of the garden remains.[6]
Organ
The organ in the church was inaugurated in 1735, the work of
Organ concerts are held throughout the year showcasing this incredible instrument.
Restoration
By 1960 Christ Church was nearly derelict and services were held in the Church Hall (an ex Huguenot Chapel in Hanbury Street) as the roof of Christ Church itself was declared unsafe. The Hawksmoor Committee staved off the threat of wholesale demolition of the empty building—proposed by the then Bishop of Stepney, Trevor Huddleston—and ensured that the roof was rebuilt with funds from the sale of the bombed out shell of St John's, Smith Square, now a concert hall. A rehabilitation centre for homeless alcoholic men was housed in part of the crypt from the 1960s until 2000 when it relocated to purpose built accommodation above ground. In 1976 the Friends of Christ Church Spitalfields, an independent charity, was formed to raise money and project manage the restoration of this Grade I listed building so it could be brought back into use. Church services returned to the partially restored building in 1987 and the restoration of the building was finally complete in 2004, enabling a wide range of uses to run alongside its primary function as a place of worship.
As part of the restoration process, the burial vaults beneath the church had to be cleared. Instead of hiring a commercial undertaker for this job, the Friends of Christ Church raised funds for the employment of an archaeological team, who excavated nearly 1,000 interments between 1984 and 1986. Of these, about 390 were identifiable from coffin name plates. Archaeologists and physical anthropologists took this opportunity to study Victorian mortuary practices and anthropology, including health and causes of death of the local population. The project was written up as a two-volume landmark study.[7][8][9]
The portico at the west end was repaired and cleaned in 1986, when Ewan Christian's re-arrangement of the aisle windows was also replaced by a recreation of the originals, scrupulously researched. The 202 ft tower and spire were consolidated and cleaned in 1997. The south façade was cleaned and repaired in 1999 revealing the striking whiteness and beauty of the Portland stone and the delicate detailing, both so quickly obscured by weather and city pollution. At the same time Hawksmoor's magnificent double flight of steps on the south side, which was removed in the nineteenth century, was rebuilt. In addition, the gate piers of the Rectory yard were repaired and the large iron gates restored. Regency style railings to the churchyard, removed in World War II, were replaced. The north and east façades were repaired and cleaned in 1999–2000. The restoration of the interior, begun in 2000 and completed in 2004, restored the fabric of the church; removed the nineteenth- and twentieth-century alterations; reinstated the original arrangement of galleries following archaeology to establish their original pattern; and has recaptured the proportions, light and clarity of Hawksmoor's original design.
In 2015 the Crypt was also restored, restoring much of Hawksmoor's original walls as well as providing a café area. This is accessible via a ramp to make disabled access possible and encourage use by the local community. In February 2016 the restoration of the Crypt was shortlisted in the RICS Awards 2016, London in the 'Building conservation' category.[10]
Thus, after years of neglect, the church was restored to its pre-1850 condition, working from the original building documents where possible, a process that stretched over more than 25 years. The restoration revealed the most complex and sumptuous of Hawksmoor's interiors in London. Key players in the restoration were Andrew D "Red" Mason (Project Architect and building historian from 1976 to 2004), Revd. Eddy Stride (Rector), Eric Elstob (Chair of The Friends of Christ Church and benefactor), Howard Kenward, Derek Stride and Hosten Garroway (Wardens), The Hon
Present day
An
It is very active with Sunday services at 9 am, 11 am and 5 pm. Christ Church Spitalfields also offers various activities for a growing community for young families, students and young adults.The church also regularly runs the Alpha Course for those with questions about life and faith.
Leon Kossoff made several paintings of the church, beginning in 1987.[13][14][15]
See also
- List of churches and cathedrals of London
References
- ^ "Christ Church: Historical account — CHAPTER XII". Survey of London: Volume 27, Spitalfields and Mile End New Town. London County Council (digital version courtesy of British History Online). 1957. pp. 148–169.
- ^ "Directory — Stepney Area: Tower Hamlets Deanery — Christ Church Spitalfields". Diocese of London.
- ^ "Our Team". Christ Church Spitalfields. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
- ^ Gerard Brooks official website
- ^ Webster C 2010, ‘An alternative to Ecclesiology: William Wallen (1807-53)’ in Brandwood G. 2010, ed., Seven Church Architects 1830-1930, Ecclesiology To-day, London: Ecclesiological Society,12
- ^ "London Gardens Trust: Christ Church Spitalfields". Retrieved 19 January 2021.
- ISBN 978-1-872414-07-2.
- ^ Molleson, Theya and Cox, Margaret with A H Waldron and D K Whittaker, The Spitalfields Project Vol.2, The Anthropology: The Middling Sort, Council for British Archaeology, York 1993
- ^ Adams M, Reeve J. 1987. Excavations at Christ Church, Spitalfields 1984-6. Antiquity 61:247–256.
- ^ Surveyors, Royal Institution of Chartered. "RICS Awards, London". www.rics.org. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
- ^ "Network Churches". HTB Church Online. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
- ^ "Parish Profile 2020" (PDF). Christ Church Spitalfields. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
- ^ Tate. "'Christ Church, Spitalfields, Morning', Leon Kossoff, 1990". Tate. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
- ^ "Christchurch Spitalfields, Spring | Art UK". artuk.org. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
- ^ Anonymous (31 October 2018). "Christ Church Spitalfields, Friday Evening". Cleveland Museum of Art. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
External links
Media related to Christ Church, Spitalfields at Wikimedia Commons
- Christ Church at the Survey of London
- Christ Church Spitalfields homepage
- Great Buildings – Christ Church
- Christ Church Spitalfields building information & photos
- "A View of Christ Church Spitalfields (photographs)". spitalfieldslife.com. 18 February 2012.