St James's Church, Paddington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St James’ Church, Sussex Gardens, Paddington |
|
|---|---|
St James’ Church, Sussex Gardens, Paddington
|
|
| 51°30′46.8″N 0°10′35.4″W / 51.513000°N 0.176500°W | |
| Location | Paddington |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Anglo-Catholic |
| History | |
| Dedication | St James the Less |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* listed |
| Architect(s) | George Edmund Street, |
| Groundbreaking | 1841 and 11 February 1882 |
| Completed | 1882 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St James Paddington |
| Deanery | Westminster Paddington |
| Archdeaconry | Charing Cross |
| Diocese | Diocese of London |
| Province | Province of Canterbury |
St James' Church Paddington is also known as St James' Church Sussex Gardens. It is a Church of England parish church located in Paddington, London. This church serves as the main parish church for the area. You can find it at the western end of Sussex Gardens, a long street with many trees. It is about 175 meters (0.1 miles) north of Hyde Park.
Contents
History of St James' Church
Before the 1840s, the main church in Paddington was St Mary's Paddington Green. However, this church became too small. It could not hold all the people who wanted to attend services. So, between 1841 and 1843, a new church called St James's was built. This new building was meant to hold more worshippers. It also took over as the main parish church.
The first design for St James's church was by John Goldicutt around 1841. Sadly, Goldicutt passed away before it was finished. George Gutch then completed the building. Goldicutt had planned a neo-classical style. He wanted it to be made of yellow brick, inspired by his trips to Italy. The yellow brick was used, but Gutch changed the style to Gothic.
Rebuilding and New Design
Within 40 years, the church was again too small for its growing congregation. A larger church was needed. A famous architect, G. E. Street, known for his Gothic Revival designs, planned a big rebuilding project. He decided to keep some parts of the old church. He then redesigned it in a 14th-century Gothic style.
Street made an unusual choice for the church's direction. He reversed the traditional layout. Usually, the chancel (the area around the altar) faces east. But Street designed it to face west.
G. E. Street did not live to see his plans finished. He passed away on December 18, 1881. This was before construction even began. Two months after his death, a special event happened. Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein laid the foundation stone. This took place on February 11, 1882. The building work was then carried out by Sir Arthur Blomfield. He was a colleague of G. E. Street's son, A. E. Street.
Oscar Wilde's Wedding
On May 29, 1884, a famous Irish writer got married at St James's Church. This was Oscar Wilde, and he married Constance Lloyd. This special event is remembered with a round plaque on the church wall.
The plaque is at the east end of the church. The Oscar Wilde Society asked for it to be made. It was designed by Tom Sargeant, who carves letters and stone. The plaque is made of Welsh slate. It was revealed at a ceremony on May 29, 2016. This day marked 132 years since the wedding.
World War II and Renovations
In 1940, during World War II, St James's Church was badly damaged. This happened during the Blitz, a time when London was bombed. The church's crypt (an underground room) was used as an air-raid shelter.
After the war, the bomb damage was fixed. The church was reopened in July 1958. Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent attended the reopening. The renovations included new stained glass windows. These were made by A. E. Buss of Goddard & Gibbs.
The Te Deum Window is at the east end of the church. It honors important historical figures. These people lived in the area of St James's Parish. They include Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin. Also featured is J. M. Barrie, the writer of Peter Pan. And Lord Baden-Powell, who started the Scout Association, is also shown. The window also shows a scene from the Blitz. This part remembers those who died during the Battle of Britain.
The Church Organ
The organ in St James's Church was built in 1882. It was made by William Hill & Sons. Over the years, the organ has been rebuilt and updated several times. When it was first built, it had three manuals (keyboards). In 1908, a fourth manual, called the Solo, was added. This was done during an expansion by Hele & Co of Plymouth.
Later, the organ was rebuilt again in 1936. This work was done by Rushworth and Dreaper of Liverpool. It was rebuilt one more time in 1972 by J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd. You can find more details about the organ on the National Pipe Organ Register.
Organists of St James' Church
- 1894-1907: Henry J. B. Dart
- 1911-1916: Harold Darke
- ?-?: George Thalben-Ball
- 2015-present: George de Voil
