St Jude's Church, Hampstead Garden Suburb facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Jude's Church, Hampstead Garden Suburb |
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| Parish Church of St Jude-on-the-Hill | |
Photo of St Jude's
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| Location | London, NW117AH |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | www.stjudeonthehill.com www.stjudeonthehill.org |
| History | |
| Dedicated | 1911 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Edwin Lutyens |
| Years built | 1909 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Hampstead Garden Suburb |
| Diocese | London (Edmonton Area) |
The Parish Church of St Jude-on-the-Hill, often called St Jude's, is a special church in north London. It is located in Hampstead Garden Suburb. This area was started in 1907 by Henrietta Barnett. She wanted it to be a perfect community. People from all walks of life could live there. They would enjoy beautiful surroundings and get along well.
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Building St Jude's Church
A famous architect named Edwin Lutyens (1869–1944) designed St Jude's Church. Building started in 1909. The church was officially opened on May 7, 1911. However, the west end of the church was not finished until 1935.
From the outside, the church is 200 feet long. Its tall spire reaches 178 feet into the sky. Inside, the church is 122 feet from the front door to the steps leading to the altar. The highest part of the roof is forty feet high. The ceiling has a rounded, barrel-like shape and domes.
Art and Windows Inside the Church
The beautiful paintings and murals inside St Jude's were created by Walter P. Starmer (1877–1961). He started painting in the Lady Chapel in 1920. He finished the main altar area (apse) in 1929. Starmer worked with the Red Cross during the First World War. Many of his paintings from the war are now in the Imperial War Museum.
The large window at the west end of the church was finished in 1937. It was also designed by Starmer. It shows Saint Jude holding a cross and a small model of this very church. Below him is his symbol, a ship. Above, you can see Christ in glory. He is surrounded by symbols of the four writers of the Gospels.
Special Memorials and Features
On the north side of the west door, there is a special plaque. It remembers the horses that died in the First World War. Next to it is a stone carving of a warhorse. This carving was made in 1970 by Rosemary Proctor.
Near this, you'll find a memorial for Basil Bourchier. He was the first vicar, or priest, of St Jude's. On the south pillar, there is a plaque marking the completion of the west end of the church. In the north-west porch, you can see pictures of past vicars.
The ceiling panels above the main aisle show different Bible stories. These include the wise men and shepherds, Christ feeding many people, and Christ calming a storm. There are also paintings of Christ healing the blind and lepers, the crucifixion, and Christ entering Jerusalem while carrying the cross.
On the north wall, there are memorials for John Raphael, a popular sportsman who died in the First World War. There is also a bust of Father Maxwell Rennie, made by his daughter Rosemary Proctor. Above St George's altar, a painting by Starmer tells a sad story. It shows the last moments of Michael Rennie, the vicar's son. He died from exhaustion after saving children from a ship that was torpedoed in 1940.
The paintings in this area and the south aisle show Jesus's teachings through parables. The Stations of the Cross, also by Starmer, start here and continue into the south aisle.
The beautiful iron screens next to the altar are much older than the church. They have the name Matthias Heit and the date 1710 on them. The floor around the altar is made of brick and marble. The main altar includes two stones from Canada. One is from a very old chapel in Nova Scotia. The other is from Montreal Cathedral. The first stone for the church was laid on April 25, 1910. It was made by Eric Gill. The pulpit, where sermons are given, was also a gift from Canada.
Above the south door, there is a plaque remembering when the Prince of Wales unveiled the murals in 1924. Above the door, there is a figure of Christ. This was made by Rosemary Proctor to remember her brother. Nearby, on the south wall, is a memorial to King Edward VII.
Chapels and Organ
To the left of the main altar is the Lady Chapel. This is the oldest part of the church. It was finished and opened for worship in 1910. On a pillar near the entrance, there is a guide to the ceiling painting. This painting shows brave women linked to the First World War and the fight for women's rights.
In the Lady Chapel, there is a wooden statue of Our Lady. It is a copy of a 16th-century statue called the "Nuremberg Madonna." It was likely part of a scene showing the crucifixion. In the center of the altar, there is a modern copy of the Madonna and Child by Bernini.
St John's Chapel is to the right of the altar. The Harmsworth family gave this chapel to the church in 1923. The paintings in this chapel are based on the Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation. The memorial window for Robert Lovel St John Harmsworth (1898-1920) was made by Robert Anning Bell. He was a very respected artist.
The green and white marble altar in St John's Chapel was designed by Lutyens. A painting by Maurice Greiffenhagen is in the center panel. It shows St John holding a cup with a serpent coming out of it. This refers to a story where St John drank poison but survived.
The "Father Willis" organ came from another St Jude's church in Whitechapel. That church's vicar was Canon Samuel Augustus Barnett, who was married to Henrietta Barnett, the founder of Hampstead Garden Suburb. The organ was moved to its current spot in 1934. It was fully rebuilt and renovated in 2002.
Visiting St Jude's
The church is usually open during service times and sometimes on Sunday afternoons in summer. Since it is often used for recordings, concerts, and other events, it's a good idea to check before you visit. Groups are welcome, and with enough notice, a guide can usually be arranged to show visitors around.
St Jude's also hosts an annual music festival called Proms at St Jude's.
As of 2022, St Jude's is on Historic England's 'Heritage at Risk' list. This means its condition is considered "poor" and it needs care. The house next to the church, where the vicar lives, was also designed by Lutyens. It is a Grade II Listed building, meaning it is historically important.
St Jude's in Books
St Jude's Church has been mentioned in several books.
The famous writer Evelyn Waugh was confirmed at St Jude's in 1916. He wrote about attending the church in his book A Little Learning (1964). He described the church as a "fine Lutyens edifice" and mentioned the "flamboyant clergyman" Basil Bourchier. Waugh felt that despite the show, he "had some glimpse of higher mysteries."
Another well-known writer, C.S. Lewis, gave two sermons at St Jude's. He spoke about "Miracles" in 1942 and "The Grand Miracle" in 1945. You can even see his signature in the church's register from April 1945.
St Jude's has been called:
- "a building of true originality" and a "key work" of its time (Roslin Mair, Key Dates in Art History, 1979).
- Lutyens' "ecclesiastical masterpiece" and "one of the best twentieth-century church exteriors in England" (Simon Jenkins, The Companion Guide to Outer London, 1981).
- "one of [Lutyens'] most successful buildings" (Bridget Cherry and Nikolaus Pevsner, The Buildings of England: London 4: North, 1998).
- "a magnificent Edwardian period piece" with a "wonderful collection of gay furnishings" (Peter Anson, Fashions in Church Furnishings, 1960).
- A church that "broke new ground" because it completely avoided the Gothic style. Its central tower and spire are described as "majestic, imperious, Elgarian" (John Leonard, London's Parish Churches, 1997).
