Nominal: 572.5 Hz Weight: 3437 lbs Diameter: 55.5" Bell 1 of 3
Founded by John Taylor & Co 1887
Dove Bell ID: 58543 Tower ID: 22645 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
St James Paddington
Diocese of London
Major Parish Church, 623043
http://www.stjamespaddington.org.ukOverview
Grid reference: TQ 266 809
This large Victorian Gothic church stands on a junction, its tall tower overlooking a small triangular public garden (Sussex Gardens). This is undoubtedly a major church, still dominated externally by Coldicutt & Cutch’s wedding-cake Perpendicular Gothic tower and west end which faces across to Sussex Gardens. In 1841 a site between Sussex Gardens and Gloucester Terrace was chosen for a new parish church for Paddington, following the development of the area in the wake of the railway. The architects were John Goldicutt and George Gutch, the total cost of the building was £9,000 raised by public subscription.
Visiting and facilities
Building is open for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
4-bay aisled nave, 2-bay chancel with south chapel and north organ chamber and vestry, tower to east with flanking porches.
Dimensions:
Nave approx 23m (75 ft) x 9m (30ft).
Footprint of Church buildings: 1105 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
In 1841 a site between Sussex Gardens and Gloucester Terrace was chosen for a new parish church for Paddington, following the development of the area in the wake of the railway. The architects were John Goldicutt and George Gutch, the total cost of the building was £9,000 raised by public subscription. In 1843 the new church of St James the Less was consecrated. Just under two years later St James’s became the parish church of Paddington. This building had the chancel in the tower (the real east end), a solution imposed by the site.
Less than 40 years later a new larger church was commissioned from G E Street, who turned the church around so that the ‘east’ end became the ‘west’ end, constructing his new church over and around the old one, whereby the tower, spire, porches and crypt were retained from the 1843 building. The new building could seat 1,320, and was re-consecrated by the Bishop of London in December 1882. The whole rebuild had taken less than a year.
The church remained basically unchanged until hit by bombs in the Blitz, destroying the stained glass at the west end and knocking off most of the steeple. After the War this was all made good, and a church hall and parsonage were built against the new east end. The site was redeveloped in 2000-2 by Molyneux Kerr architects of London, the dilapidated ex-parsonage and hall demolished and the plot sold, the proceeds used to reorder the church with a new floor, heating system and nave altar, and the crypt redeveloped to provide a meeting room, an oratory, a hall and other facilities and a nursery, providing a source of income.
Exterior Description
This is undoubtedly a major church, still dominated externally by Coldicutt & Cutch’s wedding-cake Perpendicular Gothic tower and west end which faces across to Sussex Gardens. The tower is of two stages, with a 5-light window in the lower stage with an ogee head, and triple-lancet belfry openings above. The spire is recessed behind a quatrefoil parapet and corner pinnacles with flying buttresses. The tower is flanked by twin porches with 4-centred pointed doorways leading to vestibules with 2-light windows in the west face, quatrefoil parapets and corner pinnacles; these also have gabled entrances on the north and south sides, presumably these originally gave access to galleries.
As already noted, the church is oriented with the lower chancel to the west, but liturgical orientation will be used in the following description. There are 3-light windows to the aisles set in knapped flint walls, with flowing tracery. The clearstorey has paired 2-light traceried windows. The chancel has a 7-light flowing traceried east window, all in a 14th-century style.
Building Materials
Brick
Slate
Roof
Interior
Interior Description
Moving inside, the church is more obviously a Street creation, and the high-quality reordering has not compromised this, indeed this reworking of the space is highly successful, an object lesson in what can be achieved with good quality design and materials. The nave has clustered piers to tall pointed arcades, carrying a coved roof of a false hammer-beam design adorned with figures of angels. There is marble cladding to the arcade spandrels and to the aisle walls by Blackler. There are three oculi above the high chancel arch, the chancel ceiling has timber tierceron vaulting. The south-east chapel has a central timber column, it is rather dominated by a large wooden War Memorial against the south wall. Victorian stained glass to the aisle and chancel windows by Heaton, Butler & Bayne and Clayton & Bell, west window a World War II Memorial by Buss of Goddard & Gibbs.
There is a polished black and white stone floor with a pattern oriented around a floor-lit dais with a new stone altar, very effective. The marble font now takes pride of place in the middle of the tower space. The fine pews and chancel furniture are still mostly in place, as is the large 1840’s organ with decorated pipes. The original Victorian layout in the chancel and chapel is preserved, with marble pulpit and inlaid reredos by Forsyth.
The crypt, part of the 1843 church, can be reached by steps or by a new lift installed outside the south aisle. The meeting room under the chancel is vaulted and whitewashed, a pleasant space, lit by 3-light windows which have been exposed again by the clearance of the buildings behind the church.
Bells
Weight: 179 lbs Diameter: 20" Bell 2 of 3
Founded by Charles & George Mears 1845
Dove Bell ID: 58544 Tower ID: 22645 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Weight: 473 lbs Diameter: 26" Bell 3 of 3
Founded by Thomas II Mears 1841
Dove Bell ID: 58545 Tower ID: 22645 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Churchyard
Grid reference: TQ 266 809
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Sources
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