Imagine a narrow city plot transformed into a soaring Gothic masterpiece. That’s All Saints Margaret Street. Funded by businessman AJ Beresford Hope, All Saints presented architect William Butterfield with a challenge. He had to fit a church, clergy house, and choir school onto a cramped site. The building also needed to reflect the era’s Tractarian ideals.
All Saints is perhaps the most influential urban church of the Victorian era. Butterfield drew inspiration from Gothic themes and the work of AW Pugin. Pugin is best known for his work on the Palace of Westminster. As you approach All Saints from Margaret Street, it seems almost hidden. Set back in a small courtyard, it is surrounded by buildings on three sides. The tower, though striking, is difficult to spot until you’re right at the entrance.
The exterior of All Saints features red and black bricks. Small, randomly spaced windows punctuate the walls. The powerful emotional impact of All Saints comes from the tower’s sheer height. It rises in imitation of Perpendicular Gothic style. The Tractarians believed the exterior should be plain. They wanted to focus resources on creating an evocative interior. Influenced by John Ruskin, Butterfield aimed to make a dim interior shine with color. He used chequered patterns, polished granite piers, and colored tiles. Rich stained glass and a painted reredos by William Dyce add to the effect. Dyce is famous for his frescoes in the Palace of Westminster based on Arthurian legends.
Butterfield’s tastes evolved during the construction of All Saints. This led to disagreements with Beresford Hope. Hope felt the architect was straying from the original design. Despite these conflicts, All Saints achieves a glorious, if not always harmonious, Victorian idealism.
Stepping inside All Saints, the interior is dimly lit. Once your eyes adjust, you’ll see a place of rich colors and ornate patterns. Polished stone and mosaics adorn the surfaces. The decorated arcades are subdued compared to the mosaic scenes on the north, south, and west walls.
The pulpit is a stunning example of High Church Victorian decoration. It features multi-colored stone and marvelous carving. The decorative scheme draws your eye to the high altar and the reredos by Dyce. It is a magnificent work of art. It stands as one of the best pieces of Victorian church decoration in England.
All Saints provides shelter for street people. It creates a welcoming atmosphere. All Saints feels like a place of worship and a work of art. It plays an important role in the local community.
All Saints is a Grade I listed building. Simon Jenkins called All Saints “architecturally England’s most celebrated Victorian church”. Its design marked a new stage in Gothic Revival architecture. Unlike previous revivals that copied medieval buildings, Butterfield used new materials like brick. He aimed to develop previous styles, not just replicate them. John Ruskin believed All Saints showed the potential to surpass any Gothic architecture.
Every surface of All Saints is richly patterned. The floor has diaper patterned tiles. Wall surfaces feature geometrical patterns in brick, tile, and marble. There are tiles with painted decoration and a painted ceiling. The timberwork behind the altar is painted and gilded. Nikolaus Pevsner described the interior as “dazzling”. He noted its High Victorian ostentatiousness. He said praise of the Lord is drummed into you from everywhere. All Saints stands as a testament to Victorian artistic and religious ideals.