St George's Cathedral, London facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. George's Cathedralformerly Christ Church |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location | London, NW1 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch |
| Previous denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Christ Church |
| Dedicated | 1837 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | James Pennethorne |
| Style | Neoclassical |
St George's Cathedral is a special church in London. It's located on Albany Street in an area called St Pancras, which is part of the Camden borough. This church belongs to the Antiochian Orthodox Church. It was designed by an architect named James Pennethorne. The building first opened as an Anglican church called Christ Church in 1837. Later, in 1989, it became an Orthodox cathedral.
Contents
About the Building
The church building was designed by James Pennethorne. It stands at the corner of Redhill Street and Albany Street. The building is shaped like a rectangle. It is made of brick with special stone decorations. The four corners of the church look like small towers.
The style of the building is called classical. There is a deep decorative band around the top of the building. Above this band is a simple brick wall. The windows are rounded at the top. There is a tower above the main entrance, which has an eight-sided spire on top. This spire is quite small compared to the rest of the church.
A Look at Its History
As an Anglican Church
The church was first built as an Anglican church. It was meant to serve the people living in the Cumberland Market area. The church officially opened on July 13, 1837. It became known for following the Oxford Movement, which was a traditional style of worship. The first leader of the church, William Dodsworth, later left to become a Roman Catholic.
An artist named William Collins suggested buying a painting for the church. It was a copy of a famous painting called Transfiguration by Raphael. This copy, made by Thomas Brigstocke, became the main artwork behind the altar.
The church was changed a few times. Between 1839 and 1843, architect R.C. Carpenter made some updates. More changes happened in 1867 by William Butterfield. These changes included adding a fancy marble floor.
The famous poet Christina Rossetti often went to Christ Church. She lived on Albany Street for a couple of years. Her brother, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, created a stained-glass window for the church. It showed a scene from the Sermon on the Mount.
A school called Christ Church Primary School grew up near the church on Redhill Street. On January 26, 1950, the funeral service for the writer George Orwell was held at the church. This was because it was close to where he died and where he worked.
In 1974, a music group called the Albany Consort started at the church. They played early music.
The church building is very important. On June 10, 1954, it was given a special status as a Grade II* listed building. This means it's a building of more than special interest.
Becoming an Orthodox Cathedral
In 1989, Christ Church stopped being an Anglican church. It then became St George's Cathedral for the Antiochian Orthodox Church. It is one of two Antiochian churches in London. The other is St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate in the City of London. A new roof was built for the cathedral in the year 2000.
