St Augustine's Church, Even Swindon facts for kids
The Church of St. Augustine is an Anglican church in Even Swindon, an area of Swindon, England. It was built in 1907 to help people who moved to Swindon for jobs at the Great Western Railway Works. The church is part of the Diocese of Bristol and is named after St. Augustine of Canterbury.
Contents
How the Church Started
Before the main church was built, there was a small mission chapel. This chapel was set up in the early 1880s in what used to be a schoolroom. It was part of the St Mary Rodbourne Cheney church. Records show that church services began there on April 2, 1881. The first known baptism happened in 1885.
A priest named Rev W Mould, who was also a chaplain to Queen Victoria, found it hard to cover all the services. So, he arranged for St Mark's Church (another church built for railway workers) to help with services and care for the people.
In 1904, Rev Henry Harvey became the missionary curate for the St Augustine's area. He worked for the church in Rodbourne for 29 years. He was later made an Honorary Chaplain to the Bishop and an Honorary Canon of Bristol Cathedral.
Building the Church
Design and Style
The church was designed by W. A. H. Masters. He also designed other churches in Swindon, like St Luke's and St Philip's.
The first stone for St Augustine's was laid on April 13, 1907, in a special ceremony. This was the first time the Freemasons in Wiltshire were part of a church service. The church, as you see it today, was officially opened on January 25, 1908. The bricks used to build it were paid for by the local people, costing just one old penny each! Because there wasn't enough money, some parts like the side aisles, porches, bell tower, and extra chapels were not built.
St Augustine's is one of the few churches in southern England built in the basilica style. This means it has a large main hall (called a nave) with six wide sections and a small rounded end (called an apse). There's no wall separating the nave from the choir area, making it feel like one big hall. The vestry (where priests prepare) and the lady chapel are in the north-east corner. The tall, narrow windows are in a neo-Romanesque style, which looks a bit like old Roman buildings. The church was given a special Grade II listed status in 1970, meaning it's an important historic building.
The church is about 37 meters (120 feet) long and 12 meters (40 feet) wide. The roof of the main hall reaches about 15 meters (50 feet) high. The arch at the end of the church is about 9 meters (30 feet) high. There's a single bell in a small tower on the north-east side, which weighs about 228 kilograms (504 pounds).
Inside the Church
The Font and Its Meanings
The font, which is a large basin used for baptisms, is a perfect copy of an old Norman font from St Leonard's Church. It has ten sections, each with a Latin message. The first section, called Eclesia, shows the church as a crowned bride. She holds a special cup and defeats evil, shown as a snake, with a cross. The second section, Cherubim, shows a six-winged angel with covered eyes, meaning its spiritual nature. This angel holds a sword, showing it guards the Church.
The other eight sections show eight crowned knights with shields and weapons. These knights represent good Christian qualities (virtues). They are shown as much bigger than figures representing evil habits (vices) that fight inside a person's soul after baptism. These sections include:
- Largitas v Avaricia (Generosity overcoming Greed)
- Humilitas v Superbia (Humility overcoming Pride)
- Pietas v Discordia (Gentleness overcoming Conflict)
- Misericordia v Invidia (Mercy overcoming Envy)
- Temperancia v Luxuria (Self-control overcoming Wildness)
- Pacientcia v Ira (Patience overcoming Anger)
Art and Windows
Other beautiful artworks in the church include a large painting in the apse, two icons, and two triptychs (three-part artworks). These were designed and painted by Fleur Kelly in the late 1980s and 1990s. The painting in the curved ceiling of the apse shows Christ Pantocrator (Christ as Ruler of All), with Mary and the Child Jesus, and an older St Augustine on a gold background. This artwork makes the apse look "much enhanced," according to Julian Orbach. The icons next to the apse show Pope Gregory the Great and King Ethelbert of Kent. The triptychs show the Virgin Mary and Child, and St Augustine holding a model of the church.
The church has six stained glass windows. Three in the apse and a round window high up in the nave are from the church's early years. Two other windows on the south side were added in the 1950s. The south window of St Peter was made by Basil Barber, who learned from a famous artist named Sir Ninian Comper.
Church Community
In 1930, a special area (called a parish) was created for the new church. This area was made from parts of other parishes, including Rodbourne Cheney and Swindon New Town.
From 2004 to 2018, St Augustine's was linked with two other churches, All Saints and St Barnabas. Since late 2018, St Augustine's has been its own separate parish again.
Music at St Augustine's
The church has a long history of great music. In the early days, the choir had almost 50 men and boys! Women were allowed to join the choir for the first time in the mid-1970s. The choir once gave the nameplate of a steam engine called "Westminster Abbey" to the choirboys at Westminster Abbey, where it can still be seen. The church choir even returned to Westminster Abbey in March 2015 to remember this special gift.
The famous writer Sir John Betjeman was said to visit often to hear the choral evensong (an evening church service with singing). He even hosted the choir at his home for a summer choir camp. The choir has sung in big cathedrals and churches like St Paul's, Westminster Abbey, and St Mary Redcliffe. It was well known in the area for its size and how good it sounded.
The church has had two organs. The old pipe organ, built in 1903, was taken out in 2003. Most of its pipes and parts were removed, but some large display pipes and a few others are now shown on the church floor. The current organ is a digital organ with two keyboards and 33 different sounds. It was given to the church in 2003. The speakers for the organ are placed high up in the organ loft, about 9 meters (30 feet) above the choir seats.
Special Events
In 2018, the church had a special display of 1,300 poppies. This was to remember 100 years since the Armistice, which ended World War One. The poppies were made by students from Even Swindon Primary School and church members. They were hung on thin lines, making them look like they were floating above everyone. Other displays included knitted poppies flowing over the font and from the altar, and "There but Not There" silhouettes of soldiers. There was also information about local men who died in the war. Photos of these displays were in many UK newspapers. The church was even used by BBC Points West for a live TV news broadcast on November 9, 2018, just before Remembrance Sunday. The show was hosted by Alex Lovell.
