St Augustine's Tower, Hackney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Augustine's Tower Hackney |
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Northwest view of the tower, the only part of the original church remaining and Hackney's oldest building.
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| Location | London Borough of Hackney |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Founded | 1275 (first mentioned) |
| Founder(s) | Knights of St John |
| Architecture | |
| Closed | 1789 |
| Demolished | 1798 (church) |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Hackney |
| Diocese | London |
St Augustine's Tower is a very old building in Hackney, a part of London. It stands in St John's Church Gardens, right in the middle of Hackney. This tower is all that is left of a church built in the early 1500s. That church was called St Augustine's and it replaced an even older church from the 1200s.
The Tower has four main parts, one on top of the other. It also has a restored top section and strong corner supports. Inside, on the third floor, there is a cool working clock from the 1500s. This clock has been there since at least 1608! The Tower and everything inside it are listed as a Grade I building, which means it's very important and protected.
The Tower is a special symbol for Hackney. You can even see it on the coat of arms for the area. During the First World War, it was on the cap-badge of the Hackney soldiers. Their motto was Justitia Turris Nostra, which is Latin for Justice is our tower.
Contents
The Story of St Augustine's Church
How the Church Began
The church in Hackney became a special kind of parish church in 1275. This meant it had a vicar and a rector. These were church leaders chosen by the Bishop of London. The church served the entire area that is now the London Borough of Hackney. Over time, the parish was divided into smaller ones.
From the 1300s to the 1600s, the church was named after St Augustine. Later, around 1660, it was renamed St John at Hackney. This new name showed the church's connection to the Order of St John of Jerusalem, a famous group of knights.
Building the Church and Tower
The church tower was built when the church itself was rebuilt in the early 1500s. You can see symbols of important people from that time, like Sir John Heron and Rector Christopher Urswick, carved in the church. The church had a main hall, side aisles, and a special area for the choir.
In 1614, a chapel was added to the church, and a room for church meetings was built too. The church was quite large, about 32 meters long and 19 meters wide. The tower was very tall, reaching about 36 meters high. The church walls were made of different materials, showing many repairs over the years.
Many important people from the Tudor period visited this church. These included members of the royal court like Thomas Cromwell. Even Samuel Pepys, a famous diarist, visited in 1667. He wrote in his diary about the church's organ. But he also mentioned that he went "chiefly to see the young ladies of the schools, whereof this is great store, very pretty." Hackney was known for its girls' schools back then!
Over time, Hackney's population grew a lot. More seating areas were added to the church, and by 1789, it could hold over 1,000 people. But this still wasn't enough! So, in 1790, the church leaders decided to build a brand new, bigger church nearby.
The old church building was taken down in 1798. Many of its old stone monuments were saved and moved to the new Church of St John-at-Hackney. The stone from the old church was sold to be used in other buildings. You can still see four cornerstones on the ground that show where the old church used to stand, just east of the Tower. The Tower stayed standing to hold the church bells. These bells were finally moved to the new church in 1854.
The Tower Today
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After the church was gone, the Tower was used for different things. It was a public mortuary (a place where bodies are kept) and a shed for garden tools. In 1912, the local council, the Metropolitan Borough of Hackney, became responsible for looking after the Tower and the gardens around it.
In more recent times, the Tower was made safe in 1983. Since then, it has been used for art shows sometimes. It is usually open to the public during the London Open House event each year. Since 1990, the Hackney Historic Buildings Trust has taken care of the Tower. They received money from the Heritage Lottery Fund to fix it up. Now, there is a permanent exhibition inside about the Tower's history. You can visit it on the last Sunday of every month. You can even climb its narrow, winding stairs all the way to the roof!
The gardens around the Tower and the newer church are called St John's Church Gardens. They won a Green Flag Award in 2008, which means they are very well-kept and welcoming.
See also
- The parish of Hackney
