Picture if you will a London nearly 300 years in the past as we stand before Christ Church Spitalfields. It was a time when a commission sought to erect fifty new churches. Christ Church Spitalfields rose between 1714 and 1729. Nicholas Hawksmoor designed this Anglican church.
Imagine the bustling East End. This area needed an assertion of Anglican authority. French Protestants or Huguenots populated it. They did not pledge allegiance to the Church of England, or the King. Christ Church became a symbol. Some Huguenots used Christ Church for important life events like baptisms. They also used it for marriages and burials. They preferred their own simpler chapels for daily worship. Over time, they assimilated into English Anglican life.
Consider the abruptness of Hawksmoor’s design. The nave is a plain rectangular box. It is topped by a tower. The steeple is more Gothic than classical. The imposing porch is attached bluntly to the western end. Tuscan columns support its semi-circular pediment. The porch might have been added later. It may have served to further support the tower.
Feel the vibrancy of the central space. It is organized around two axes. Originally, two entrances emphasized the shorter axis. Only the south entrance remains today. Notice the richly decorated flat ceiling. Clerestory windows provide light.
Imagine the aisles roofed. Elliptical barrel-vaults rest on Composite order columns. The Venetian window at the east end catches your eye. It hints at a revival of Palladian architecture. Or perhaps it echoes the arched pediment. The east window is actually a double window. Victorian stained glass now obscures the effect.
Think about Robert Venturi’s words. He called Christ Church Spitalfields tower a manifestation of both-and. The tower is both a wall and a tower. Buttresses extend from its base. They terminate the vista. The top evolves into a spire. It dominates the parish skyline.
In 1836, architects Wallen Son and Beatson estimated substantial repairs after a fire. In 1850, Ewan Christian severely altered Christ Church. He removed the side galleries. He blocked windows. He combined upper and lower aisle windows. This created tall, thin windows.
The churchyard closed to burials in 1856. It became a public garden in 1892. Landscape gardener Fanny Wilkinson designed it. The church school later built over much of the garden. Only a small portion remains today.
In 1735, Richard Bridge inaugurated the organ. It was the largest in England then. It held that record for over a century. The organ case is largely walnut. It became derelict around 1960. By 2014, a scheme of conservative restoration was completed.
By 1960, Christ Church Spitalfields was nearly derelict. Services moved to the Church Hall. The roof was unsafe. The Hawksmoor Committee prevented demolition. They rebuilt the roof. A rehabilitation center for homeless alcoholic men operated in the crypt. In 1976, the Friends of Christ Church Spitalfields formed. Their goal was to restore the building. Church services returned in 1987. The restoration completed in 2004.
Imagine the archaeological team. From 1984 to 1986, they excavated nearly 1000 interments. About 390 were identifiable. This study became a two-volume landmark.
Thus, after neglect, Christ Church Spitalfields was restored. The restoration revealed Hawksmoor’s most complex London interior. Today, Christ Church Spitalfields is an active evangelical Anglican parish. It belongs to the HTB network.
Leon Kossoff captured its image in several paintings. He began in 1987. Christ Church Spitalfields stands as a testament to time. It embodies architectural brilliance. It reflects community resilience. Its doors remain open. All are welcome.