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 | England |
| 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. This tower is all that is left of a church built in the early 1500s. That church was dedicated to St Augustine. Before that, there was an even older church from the 1200s, started by the Knights of St John.
The Tower has four main parts, with a repaired top section. Inside, on the third floor, there is a cool working clock from the 1500s! It has been there since at least 1608. The Tower and everything inside it are considered very important historical items, known as Grade I listed buildings.
This Tower is a special symbol for Hackney. You can even see it on the coat of arms of the London Borough of Hackney. During the First World War, it was on the cap-badge of soldiers from Hackney. Their motto, Justitia Turris Nostra, means Justice is our tower in Latin.
The Old St Augustine's Church
A Look Back in Time
The church in Hackney became a special kind of church in 1275. This meant it had both a vicar and a rector. Both of these jobs were chosen by the Bishop of London. This church served the whole area of Hackney for a long time. It was only in the 1800s that Hackney was split into smaller church areas.
Many of the people who held these church jobs had other work too. Hackney was just one way they earned money. From the 1300s to the 1600s, the church was named after St Augustine.
Around 1660, the church's name changed to St John of Jerusalem, or St John the Baptist. It became known as St John at Hackney. This showed the strong connection the area had with the Order of St John of Jerusalem.
The Tower we see today was built when the church was rebuilt in the early 1500s. Important people like Sir John Heron and Christopher Urswick helped with this. The church had a main area, side aisles, and a tower on the southwest side. A special burial place, called the Rowe Chapel, was added in 1614.
In 1741, the church was about 32 meters long and 19 meters wide. The tower had a weather vane on top that reached about 36 meters high. The church walls were made of different materials. By the time it was taken down, it looked like a mix of different repairs.
During the Tudor period, many important people from the royal court visited this church. These included Ralph Sadleir, Thomas Sutton, Thomas Cromwell, and the Earl of Northumberland. Lady Lucy Neville, who was Queen Catherine Parr's daughter-in-law, was buried there. Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, was also likely buried here. Even the famous diarist Samuel Pepys visited the church in 1667.
Hackney's population kept growing. More seating areas, called galleries, were added to the church. By 1789, it could hold over 1,000 people. But this still wasn't enough for everyone in the area. So, in 1790, people asked Parliament to rebuild the church in a new spot nearby.
The old church building was taken down in 1798. Many of its important memorials were moved to the new Church of St John-at-Hackney. The stones from the old church were sold to be used in other buildings. You can still see four cornerstones to the east of the Tower. They show where the old church used to stand. The Tower stayed 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 as a public place for bodies before burial. It was also used as a shed for tools in the St John's gardens. In 1912, the local council, the Metropolitan Borough of Hackney, became responsible for taking care of the Tower and gardens.
In more recent times, the Tower was made safe in 1983. It has been used for art shows sometimes. It usually opens to the public each year as part of London Open House. Since 1990, the Hackney Historic Buildings Trust has looked after the Tower.
Thanks to money from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Tower has been repaired and improved. Now, there is a permanent exhibition inside. It tells the story of the Tower and its church. You can visit it on the last Sunday of every month. You can even climb the narrow, winding stairs all the way to the roof!
The St John's Church Gardens, which surround the Tower and the newer church, won awards in 2008. They received both a Green Flag Award and Green Flag Heritage status.
See also
- The parish of Hackney
