St George's Cathedral, London

St George's Cathedral is an Antiochian Orthodox church in Albany Street, St Pancras, in the London Borough of Camden. Built to the designs of James Pennethorne, it was consecrated as an Anglican place of worship called Christ Church in 1837. It became an Orthodox cathedral in 1989.

Not to be confused with St George's Cathedral, Southwark.

St. George's Cathedral
formerly Christ Church
LocationLondon, NW1
CountryUnited Kingdom
DenominationGreek Orthodox Church of Antioch
Previous denominationChurch of England
Websitewww.antiochianorth.co.uk
History
Former name(s)Christ Church
Dedicated1837
Architecture
Architect(s)James Pennethorne
StyleNeoclassical

Description

The building, designed by James Pennethorne, stands on the corner of Redhill Street (formerly Edward Street) and Albany Street. It is not strictly orientated, its ceremonial east end, with the altar, facing slightly west of north.[1] It is rectangular in plan, and built of brick with stucco and stone dressings, its four corners emphasised by wide tower-like features, projecting slightly beyond the main lines of the walls. The architecture is broadly classical in style. A deep stucco entablature runs around the whole building, with a simple brick parapet above it. The windows are round-headed.[1] There is a tower above the entrance, topped by an octagonal spire.[1] The steeple is unusually small in comparison with the main body of the church.[2]

History

Anglican church

It was built as an Anglican church to serve the largely working class district of Cumberland Market.[2] Consecrated on 13 July 1837,[1] it established itself firmly within the high church Oxford Movement.[2] Its first incumbent, William Dodsworth, previously of the Margaret Street Chapel, resigned on his conversion to Roman Catholicism.[1]

On the recommendation of the painter William Collins R.A, a copy of Raphael's Transfiguration by Thomas Brigstocke was purchased as an altarpiece.[3] Alterations were made to the church between 1839 and 1843 by the architect R.C. Carpenter,[4] and further changes, including the installation of an elaborate inlaid marble floor, were made in 1867 by William Butterfield.[1]

Christ Church was frequented by Christina Rossetti who lived in Albany Street for a couple of years.[2][5] Her brother Dante Gabriel Rossetti produced a stained-glass window depicting the Sermon on the Mount for the church (a second version is elsewhere).[6]

A school grew up on Redhill Street near the church, called Christ Church Primary School. On 26 January 1950 the funeral service of George Orwell, was held at the church, as it was near to both Middlesex Hospital where he died and BBC Broadcasting House, where he worked.[7][8]

In 1974, the Albany Consort, an early music group, was founded at the church.[9]

The church was designated a Grade II* listed building on 10 June 1954.[10]

Orthodox cathedral

In 1989 Christ Church ceased to be a place of Anglican worship and became St George's Cathedral. With St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate in the City of London it is one of two Antiochan churches in London. A new roof was built in 2000.

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See also

References
  1. "Christchurch, Albany Street". Survey of London: volume 21: The parish of St Pancras part 3: Tottenham Court Road & neighbourhood. 1949. pp. 150–2. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
  2. "Christina Georgina Rossetti". Project Canterbury.
  3. Stanley, George, ed. (1866). "Brigstocke, Thomas". A Biographical and Critical Dictionary of Recent and Living Painters and Engravers: Forming a Supplement to Bryan's Dictionary of Painters and Engravers. London: H. G. Bohn.
  4. Historic England. "Christ Church, Albany Street, Camden (1378620)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  5. "Lead, Kindly Light; Christina Rossetti". Anglicanhistory.org. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  6. William Morris and Selsley Church. Examples of Morris & Co's stained glass and the genesis of the Arts and Craft movement in the Cotswolds Archived 4 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 26 July 2006. Retrieved 28 September 2006.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 27 August 2006. Retrieved 28 September 2006.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. "Albany Consort". "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 15 August 2007. Retrieved 28 September 2006.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1378620)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 January 2009.

Sources

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