St Augustine Watling Street
Encyclopedia
St Augustine, Watling Street was an Anglican church formerly located just to the east of St Paul's Cathedral
in the City of London
. It was destroyed in the Second World War but its remains now form part of St Paul's Cathedral Choir School.
in 1666 but was rebuilt in the 1680s. Constructed in an austere style, the church (51 ft. by 45 ft.) was divided into a nave
and six aisles by six Ionic
columns upon which rested a barrel vault
. The altar piece had Corinthian
columns and the pulpit
was of carved oak. Its distinctive tower was constructed in the 1690s – it is thought to have been designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor
– and was heavily modified in 1830. The pulpit was modernised by Arthur Blomfield
in 1878.
The entire church was destroyed in 1941. It was not rebuilt, but as part of the construction works for the new choir school (completed 1967) the tower was reconstructed along its original lines. It is physically incorporated into the concrete building of the choir school, creating a marked contrast between the Baroque
tower and the modernist school building. Partial records exist and are available through IGI.
The church cat, named Faith, became quite well known after the air raid which destroyed St Augustine's. Days before she was seen moving her kitten, Panda, to a basement area. Despite being brought back several times, Faith insisted on returning Panda to her refuge. On the morning after the air raid the rector searched through the dangerous ruins for the missing animals, and eventually found Faith, frightened but safe, surrounded by smouldering rubble and debris but still guarding the kitten in the spot she had selected three days earlier. The story of her premonition and rescue eventually reached Maria Dickin, founder of the PDSA, and for her courage and devotion through the bombing and fire of the Blitz on the night in question, Faith was awarded a specially-made silver medal. Her death in 1948 was reported on four continents.
The remains of the church were designated a Grade I listed building on 4 January 1950. The tower was restored in 1954.
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. It was destroyed in the Second World War but its remains now form part of St Paul's Cathedral Choir School.
History
Its foundation date is unknown, but it is first recorded circa 1148. It was destroyed in the Great Fire of LondonGreat Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall...
in 1666 but was rebuilt in the 1680s. Constructed in an austere style, the church (51 ft. by 45 ft.) was divided into a nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and six aisles by six Ionic
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
columns upon which rested a barrel vault
Barrel vault
A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design...
. The altar piece had Corinthian
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
columns and the pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
was of carved oak. Its distinctive tower was constructed in the 1690s – it is thought to have been designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor
Nicholas Hawksmoor
Nicholas Hawksmoor was a British architect born in Nottinghamshire, probably in East Drayton.-Life:Hawksmoor was born in Nottinghamshire in 1661, into a yeoman farming family, almost certainly in East Drayton, Nottinghamshire. On his death he was to leave property at nearby Ragnall, Dunham and a...
– and was heavily modified in 1830. The pulpit was modernised by Arthur Blomfield
Arthur Blomfield
Sir Arthur William Blomfield was an English architect.-Background:The fourth son of Charles James Blomfield, an Anglican Bishop of London helpfully began a programme of new church construction in the capital. Born in Fulham Palace, Arthur Blomfield was educated at Rugby and Trinity College,...
in 1878.
The entire church was destroyed in 1941. It was not rebuilt, but as part of the construction works for the new choir school (completed 1967) the tower was reconstructed along its original lines. It is physically incorporated into the concrete building of the choir school, creating a marked contrast between the Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
tower and the modernist school building. Partial records exist and are available through IGI.
The church cat, named Faith, became quite well known after the air raid which destroyed St Augustine's. Days before she was seen moving her kitten, Panda, to a basement area. Despite being brought back several times, Faith insisted on returning Panda to her refuge. On the morning after the air raid the rector searched through the dangerous ruins for the missing animals, and eventually found Faith, frightened but safe, surrounded by smouldering rubble and debris but still guarding the kitten in the spot she had selected three days earlier. The story of her premonition and rescue eventually reached Maria Dickin, founder of the PDSA, and for her courage and devotion through the bombing and fire of the Blitz on the night in question, Faith was awarded a specially-made silver medal. Her death in 1948 was reported on four continents.
The remains of the church were designated a Grade I listed building on 4 January 1950. The tower was restored in 1954.
See also
- List of Christopher Wren churches in London
- List of churches rebuilt after the Great Fire but since demolished