BUILDINGS NEWS

edited by James Jago, with contributions from Catriona Blaker, Nick Dermott, Michael Fisher, Peter Howell and Rory O'Donnell

Roman Catholic Church of St Patrick, Anderston, Glasgow (P.P. Pugin, 1897-1902)

This is a significant example of Peter Paul Pugin's work, with strikingly wide arcades on the scale of railway arches, and all its P.P.-designed altars survive in situ. In an unfortunate series of events, the body of a Polish student was found outside this church last year: the parish priest, whose 'open door' policy sheltered the murderer, was dismissed, and the church closed for worship. Amidst so many 'downtown' closures it is heartening that the Archdiocese of Glasgow has, after a suitable interval, reconsecrated and reopened this church. RO'D.

Former Convent of Our Lady of Charity and Refuge, Bartestree, Herefordshire (E.W. Pugin, 1862)

This convent, which closed in 1992, has been saved through the repair and conversion of Edward Welby Pugin's ranges into apartments and the creation of new-build housing in the grounds. At the time of writing the chapels still languish, and tragically the altar of the interns' (ie penitents') chapel has been sold to a church in Chicago; this in spite of efforts by this writer to obtain it for a English site. Although protected by a planning condition, it came into the hands of a dealer who advertised it for sale at a price of £120,000. Inaccurately described by the latter as a work of E.W. Pugin, it is evidently by Peter Paul Pugin: an exuberant example of a benediction altar, in caen stone and marble, weighing seven tonnes. This case serves to remind us that the closure of, and disposal from, Catholic sites remains a continuing problem. RO'D.

Roman Catholic Church of St Thomas of Canterbury, Fulham, London (A.W.N. Pugin 1847-8)

The interior of this notable late work by A.W.N. Pugin has undergone a most praiseworthy transformation, in full Puginian spirit, under the auspices of Martin Goalen of Academy Projects. The application of polychrome decoration to the sanctuary and the arcade arches enables the internal volumes to be integrated and articulated in a manner wholly in sympathy with the church's architectural character. The work is strongly reminiscent, in both motifs and effect, of this architect's previous reordering of St Marie's, Derby. This recourse to an earlier work is the only unfortunate note at Fulham, since it implies a pre-cast notion of generic Puginian design approach, tailored slightly for individual buildings, rather than displaying variety conditioned by a distinct impression of locus, for Fulham and Derby are at the extreme ends of A.W.N's career, and to impress upon them similar patternation negates their position within the chronology of Pugin's works. This is however understandable, since the only evidence for elaborate paintwork here postdates A.W.N.'s death, and did not survive an earlier reordering in the 1960s.

Criticism aside, the rich visual impression is successful, and the new stone high altar is an appropriate homage to A.W.N.'s idiom, whilst still accommodating the post-council preference for supportive piers in lieu of a solid plinth. The elaborately-tiled sanctuary floor is an undisputed triumph, where multi-coloured encaustic tiles, repeating A.W.N.'s original design, are set between matrixes of black and white marble. This project was undertaken by the ceramic specialist Craven Dunnill Jackson, who are frequently engaged on projects involving English Heritage, and who also replaced the original chequerboard black and red tiles in the nave and aisles with a matching design. The whole scheme is indicative of a happy reassessment of the aesthetic setting of the reformed liturgy, where recourse to historical richness and elaboration can be displayed and celebrated, rather than consciously stifled on the premise of liturgical necessity casting off a garb of obsolete, superfluous distractions. JJ.

Former Roman Catholic Church of Mount St Mary, Leeds, West Yorkshire (E.W. Pugin, 1864-6)

The tragic and protracted decline of this iconic Leeds landmark has at long last a prospect of redemption in a redevelopment proposal drafted by DLA Architecture. The nave of this church was built by W. Wardell to the designs of J.A. Hansom in 1855 and the transepts and sanctuary were added by E.W.Pugin in the mid 1860s; the latter serving as the Society's raison d'etre for involvement in this case. After almost twenty years of redundancy the decay of this church is marked, especially in the gable roofs of the north aisle. This has led to the partial dismantling of the decayed timber members and gable stonework earlier this year. After considering numerous solutions to feasibly redevelop the site as residential accommodation, the present proposal seeks to create an undeniably modern structure, faced in a zinc-copper alloy, which replicates the profile of the nave roof, and which retains intact the E.W.P. transepts and sanctuary apse. The irregular fenestration for the separate apartments will be tinted different colours so as to bear an affinity to stained glass and a permanently illuminated stairwell is positioned against the western facade, so as to paraphrase the effect of the current west window. Further, lower-level residential accommodation is proposed along the northern boundary of the plot, and this would necessitate the demolition of the separately-listed (Grade II) presbytery by Wardell.

The Victorian Society has indicated that it cannot support the proposed redevelopment on account of the loss and fragmentation of the historic structures on the site. Their opposition is justifiable, though as our Society is constitutionally obliged only to defend the buildings of the Pugin family, the treatment of the Hansom/Wardell elements ultimately lies outside our brief. Whilst the loss of so much historical structure is undeniably regrettable, it may ultimately prove the lesser evil to sacrifice these components to safeguard the future of E.W.P.'s east end, and ensure that it is conserved in a fitting and appropriate manner. Should the current proposals flounder, the further exposure of Mount St Mary's would only diminish future possibilities of salvaging anything of a once magnificent church currently at the nadir of its fortunes. Quite what reaction this scheme will cause amongst the local community remains to be seen. JJ.

Lady chapel reredos, Roman Catholic Cathedral of St Anne, Leeds, West Yorkshire (A.W.N. Pugin, 1842)

The reredos by A W N Pugin at St Anne's RC Cathedral, Leeds, soon to be restored to even greater glory.

This especially fine wooden reredos, executed by George Myers from A.W.N. Pugin's design, is soon to be restored with a grant from the English Heritage/Wolfson Foundation cathedral grants scheme. The reredos originally stood behind the high altar of the previous cathedral, designed by John Child in 1838, and was donated by Fr Walmesley and Grace Humble in 1842. It comprises three large niches holding statues of St Anne and the Virgin, the Madonna and Child and St Wilfred, with smaller figures of angels under canopies between them. The whole is richly polychromed and, as realised, clearly pleased its architect who recorded that: "I think it is the best thing I have yet accomplished in that way". It is a stylistically significant commission, created when his preferred manner of design shifted from late Gothic to an earlier, fourteenth-century ideal. When the previous cathedral was demolished in 1901 (in a 'Contrastsesque' episode to alleviate a sharp junction of tramlines in the adjacent road) the reredos was re-incorporated into the new lady chapel, designed as part of J. H. Eastwood's art nouveau Gothic masterpiece, which opened in 1904. Its restoration forms a fitting codicil to the recent reordering of the cathedral by Richard Williams of Buttress Fuller Allsop Williams (see Church building, vol 104, 26-37), which supersedes a previous reordering instigated by the then Bishop Dwyer's favoured practice of Weightman and Bullen; a cast of dramatis personae tainted with infamy in Puginian circles. JJ.

Church of England Church of All Saints, Leigh, Staffordshire (A.W.N. Pugin, 1844-6)

Though not a well-known work in A.W.N. Pugin's oeuvre of commissions for Anglican patrons, Leigh church is as significant as St Mary's, Wymeswold, which he restored at about the same time. A large cruciform church with a central tower, All Saints was rebuilt in 1844 by the little-known Lichfield architect, Thomas Johnson (1794-1865), at the expense of the Bagot family of nearby Blithfield Hall. Johnson had fallen under the spell of the Cambridge Camden Society and was an active member of its local counterpart, the Lichfield Society for the Encouragement of Ecclesiastical Architecture; his work at Leigh clearly reflecting the latter's influence. The building and furnishing of Leigh was carried out simultaneously with the building of St Giles', Cheadle, only a few miles away, under the patronage of the Earl of Shrewsbury. The Bagots and the Shrewsburys were friends, and this may account for A.W.N.'s involvement at both Leigh and at Blithfield, where he contributed to the restoration of another Bagot church.

For Leigh, A.W.N. designed the chancel furnishings, including a chancel screen and return stalls with Hardman metalwork, all very similar to those at Wymeswold (1844-46), a large five-light east window with superb glass by William Wailes and a pavement of Minton tiles, incorporating the arms of Richard Bagot, Bishop of Oxford, (1782-1854), who had been rector here and who continued to hold the living in plurality until 1846. The east window demonstrates a remarkable advance on that at Wymeswold, where single figures of forward-gazing saints stand stiffly to attention. At Leigh they appear mostly in groups framed in geometrical patterns, variously posed and altogether more lively.

A.W.N.'s unique tiled pavement, east window, chancel fittings and woodwork have recently (2007) been carefully restored through the generosity of Mrs Shelia Halden, a member of the congregation and a former churchwarden, who was anxious to preserve one of Staffordshire's hidden gems for future generations. In addition to A.W.N.'s east and west windows the church has a fine array of glass; from fourteenth-century survivals reset by Hardman, and windows by Burne-Jones and Morris & Co, to modern work by local glass painter Graham Chaplin; the latter being another gift from Mrs Halden to All Saints.

For members wishing to visit this church, a key is normally available at the village post office, or alternatively contact the Revd Dominic Stone on 01283 820030. MF.

Roman Catholic Cathedral of St Mary, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyneside (A.W.N. Pugin, 1842-4)

The next phase of redecoration and reordering has been prepared by the cathedral architect, Kevin Doonan, and displays a marked advance upon earlier experimental schemes and a greater fidelity to Puginian sources, such as the Glossary and St Giles', Cheadle. A full survey of the current cathedral floorscape has been prepared, and this outlines the various phases of tiling, including original Pugin tiles, both in situ and relaid in the last reordering. A proposal for relaying the entirety of the floor has been drafted, with highly elaborate patterns for the central aisle and narthex, more restrained designs for the aisles and greatly elaborated areas for the sanctuary dais and around the relocated font. Appropriate liturgical inscriptions, in both Latin and English, are used within the borders. The Tiles and Architectural Ceramics Society have already indicated support for this scheme, and the amount of time and effort spent in drafting this highly elaborate proposal is self evident, and certain areas might well benefit from a reduction in complexity and colour, with the greatest variety of the latter qualities being concentrated around the high altar.

The extension of the decorative stencilling to the sanctuary and lady chapel is also a clear improvement upon the tentative experiments in the blessed sacrament chapel, and the incorporation of eucharistic and evangelical symbols in the spandrels of the sanctuary arcade is a highly successful proposal, derived from examples in the Glossary. The lady chapel proposal would undoubtedly benefit from introducing heraldic fleur-de-lys into the design: a standard mediaevalising Marian symbol, already present in the dado panels of AW.N.'s extant lady altar reredos. The latter is to be returned to the east wall of the chapel, with the current confessionals behind it to be relocated to the west end of the cathedral. The current suggestion to resite the E.W. Pugin stone statue of the madonna and child immediately in front of the reredos is far from resolved, and the latter can better be read as a separate but integral element of the chapel's devotional furnishings. It is also proposed to erect a brass screen to divide the chapel from the south aisle. The current proposal is a more florid rendition of that placed in front of the blessed sacrament chapel, and consequently repeats the weaknesses of the latter. It can only be classed as a 'constructed decoration', and is not so much a homage to the manner of A.W.N. as an example of 'Scooby-Doo Gothic'. JJ.

Former Rank Hovis Flour Mill, Ramsgate, Kent (E.W. Pugin, 1865)

This massive structure, mostly by E.W.Pugin, ceased operating as a mill in 2006 and was disposed of by the owners at that time, Rank Hovis. Oxford architects Towle Spurring Hardy have been developing a scheme since the early part of 2007 to convert the historic buildings on the site into residential units and to provide new-build accommodation. The new buildings, in materials, siting, and form, are designed to complement the listed structures, and the whole ensemble has the potential to be a most unusual and innovative development. A planning application is expected in late September. ND.

The Pugin Chantry and tomb, Roman Catholic Church of St Augustine, Ramsgate, Kent (A.W.N. Pugin, c1847-52 and E.W. Pugin, c1861)

The conservation of A.W.N. Pugin's tomb-chest has now been completed. This involved cleaning the alabaster tympanum above and behind the effigy, realigning the stones of the surround, waxing the alabaster, and doing some minor repointing where needed. This was undertaken by conservator Matthew Beesley, from the firm Fairhaven of Anglesey Abbey, and was funded by the Pugin Society. Our thanks go to all members who contributed to this highly significant project.

As reported in our summer newsletter, the repairs to the mullions and sill of the four-light window above the tomb have virtually been completed, with some refinements to the external face of the mullions still to be undertaken. This work was carried out by Coombs Ltd of Canterbury, under the supervision of the firm Purcell Miller Tritton, also of Canterbury, and was funded by parishioners, assisted with a grant of £10,000 from the Kent-based Colyer-Fergusson Trust. CB.

Abbey of Our Lady of Consolation, Stanbrook, Powick, Worcestershire (E.W. Pugin, 1868-71, and P.P. Pugin, 1878)

The Benedictine nuns of Stanbrook Abbey have elected a new abbess, Dame Andrea Savage, who is as committed to the community's move to north Yorkshire as was her predecessor. Work began on the construction of the new abbey in June, although no contract has yet been signed for the sale of the Worcestershire buildings. The Stanbrook Trust was set up early last year with the hope of buying them, so as to set up a school of sacred music. This would be in keeping with the pope's desire to improve musical standards, and Stanbrook, which has an outstanding tradition of liturgical music, and a fine church, built by E.W. Pugin in 1869-71, with excellent acoustics and a notable organ, would be a magnificent home for it. It is also well placed, near to several universities with music departments. Academic support for the project has been identified. It would be an ideal solution from the architectural point of view, requiring minimal alteration to the existing buildings, and would avoid the problem of new building, access and so on, for which planning permission might be difficult to obtain. The chief problem for the Stanbrook Trust is to find the £5-£6 million needed to buy the abbey; it continues to explore possibilities. The Stanbrook Trust has a website:
www.nigel-morgan.co.uk/stanbrooktrust. The Pugin Society website also has a link to the Trust from its 'Buildings at Risk' page. PH.

St Swithun's Church, Leadenham, Lincolnshire Restoration of Pugin ceiling

At the end of August 1841 Augustus Pugin visited his friend, the Revd Bernard Smith, then still an Anglican, at his church of St Swithun's, Leadenham, and undertook the decoration, or possibly the supervision of the same, of the ceiling in the chancel there. The parishioners and rector, Dr Alan Megahey, have now had the Pugin designs in the chancel restored and cleaned, at a cost of approximately £12,000, of which £10,000 is already in place. The work has been carried out by Ricketts and Smith, of Shaftesbury, Dorset, conservators and restorers of historic interiors The next step will be to install appropriate new lighting, without which the restoration will not be as easy to see, or enjoy, as it should be. If you wish to find out further details about the restoration at St Swithun's, please contact Dr Megahey, on e-mail:
rector.leadenham@btinternet.com

The ceiling not yet restored, but floodlit for the photo.

A very small patch cleaned: the IHS panel at the bottom has been cleaned, as has the bottom left section of the blue ceiling panel.

The Chapel, Inglewood House, Kintbury, Berkshire
See here a few photographs of this most unusual structure (by member Peter Blacklock). The tiles (1) High Altar (2) and stained glass (3) are all essentially Puginesque, and so also, to some extent, is the fine Walmesley Memorial screen (4). The exterior (5), however, is a puzzle, with classical embellishments of a distinctly non-Pugin kind. Although it is recorded emphaticially that the chapel was moved "stone by stone, by canal barge", from the former home of the Walmesley family at Westwood House, near Wigan, is it possible that only some of the fabric was transferred, and that some alteration to the exterior may have taken place at Inglewood? THIS CHAPEL IS CURRENTLY IN GRAVE DANGER OF DEMOLITION.

NEWSFLASH The Society greatly regrets to have to inform all readers of this page that just before Christmas 2006 nearly all the interior fittings from this important building were removed, so that when Inspectors from English Heritage visited the chapel, with a view to a speedy spot-listing following the Society's application, the building, although itself still standing (then), no longer fulfilled the criteria for listing. Inglewood is now a lost cause. We understand that the fittings have been given to reasonably good and appreciative homes, but the whole episode is still deeply disturbing.

1 Tiles	2 High Altar
3 Stained Glass
4 Screen	5 Exterior

Roman Catholic Church of St Marie, Widnes, Cheshire (E.W. Pugin, 1865-6)

Members will be delighted to hear that this well-preserved E.W. Pugin church was successfully spot-listed by English Heritage before Christmas last year, when the Archdiocese of Liverpool announced its wish that a final mass be celebrated on the Feast of the Epiphany, after which the church would be demolished. This abrupt announcement galvanised local opposition amongst parishioners and campaigners, the local press, and the Victorian Society, which has secured the building's future for the time being. The design is an example of E.W.'s modest work for impoverished congregations; a nave with narrow lean-to aisles and a canted apse representing the essential elements of his work at this period. The restrained exterior of red and blue banded brickwork little suggests the blaze of colour within, created by the alabaster reredos with scenes from the life of the virgin set upon gilt grounds, attributable to J.A. Pippet, from the midst of which soars a characteristic benediction throne and canopy. The high altar and its attendant wooden side altars retain their original marble rails, and the overall completeness of the interior furnishings largely enabled the spot-listing application to be successful. The assured future of this church comes as a welcome respite to the recent spate of church closures in inner-city Liverpool as part of a process of apparent parochial 'centralisation', based upon the refurbished metropolitan cathedral. Whether the archdiocese will actively pursue its proposed closure remains to be seen. JJ.

Parish Church of St Nicholas, Peper Harow, Surrey (A.W.N. Pugin, 1844)

We have recently heard the shocking news that this church, restored and beautified by A.W.N. Pugin from 1844, ws been badly damaged by fire on Christmas Eve 2007. The rector, Rev John Fellows, is appealing now for assistance with rebuilding. Please take a look at the website
www.peperharow.info/church.htm for photographs and details.