All Saints, Camden Town
Encyclopedia
All Saints, Camden Town is a church in the Camden Town
area of London
, England
. It was built for the Church of England
, but it is now a Greek Orthodox
church known as the Greek Orthodox Church of All Saints. It is located at the junction of Camden and Pratt Streets.
, on the northern fringe of London. The parish church
was one of the oldest in England, but it had been neglected since the 14th century when most of the inhabitants of the parish had moved to Kentish Town
in the northern part of the parish. In 1822 a new parish church, St Pancras New Church
, on Euston Road
in the southern part of the parish, was consecrated, but it was intended mainly to serve the population in its immediate vicinity. In 1818 a Church Building Act had been passed by Parliament to facilitate the construction of new churches in London's many new districts, including this one for Camden Town.
The church was built between 1822 and 1824 and was known as first as the Camden Chapel, then, unofficially, as St Stephen's. It did not receive the dedication of All Saints until 1920. It was designed by the father and son team of William
and Henry Inwood who were also responsible for St Pancras New Church
. It is a fairly large building of yellow stock brick, with east and west ends faced in Portland stone
. The plan is basically rectangular, with an eastern apse mirrored by a semi-circular portico
at the west end. Just behind the portico is a cylindrical stone tower surrounded by columns, in imitation of the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates
in Athens. The Ionic order is based on fragments brought back from Greece by Henry Inwood and now in the British Museum
. The interior has a flat ceiling, with galleries on three sides supported by Ionic columns. The building has generally been praised, but both contemporary writers and later architectural critics such as Sir John Summerson
have argued that the tower is too thin in proportion to the body of the church. It is a Grade I listed building.
It became a parish church in its own right in 1852. In the 19th century it had a large congregation, like many other Anglican churches in the Victorian era
: an 1854 survey of church attendance found that the number of worshippers was 1,650 on Sunday mornings, 630 on Sunday afternoons and 1,430 on Sunday evenings. In the 20th century the congregation decreased and in 1948 All Saints became a Greek Orthodox church, retaining its dedication while St Michael's
in Camden Road took over the parish, becoming the main Anglican church in Camden Town. The area acquired a large Greek speaking community in the decades after World War II
, mostly from Cyprus
, and the church is still well used, though many of the worshippers now come from the outer suburbs of London. In 1991 All Saints was raised to the status of a cathedral.
The church has been renovated a number of times. Most recently since January 2009 under the supervision of the National Trust and co-sponsored by the National Lottery and donations from the Greek Orthodox Community of the parish.
Camden Town
-Economy:In recent years, entertainment-related businesses and a Holiday Inn have moved into the area. A number of retail and food chain outlets have replaced independent shops driven out by high rents and redevelopment. Restaurants have thrived, with the variety of culinary traditions found in...
area of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was built for the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, but it is now a Greek Orthodox
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople , part of the wider Orthodox Church, is one of the fourteen autocephalous churches within the communion of Orthodox Christianity...
church known as the Greek Orthodox Church of All Saints. It is located at the junction of Camden and Pratt Streets.
History
Camden Town was developed from the 1790s onwards in the then largely rural parish of St PancrasSt Pancras, London
St Pancras is an area of London. For many centuries the name has been used for various officially-designated areas, but now is used informally and rarely having been largely superseded by several other names for overlapping districts.-Ancient parish:...
, on the northern fringe of London. The parish church
St Pancras Old Church
St Pancras Old Church is a Church of England parish church in central London. It is believed to be one of the oldest sites of Christian worship in England, and is dedicated to the Roman martyr Saint Pancras, although the building itself is largely Victorian...
was one of the oldest in England, but it had been neglected since the 14th century when most of the inhabitants of the parish had moved to Kentish Town
Kentish Town
Kentish Town is an area of north west London, England in the London Borough of Camden.-History:The most widely accepted explanation of the name of Kentish Town is that it derived from 'Ken-ditch' meaning the 'bed of a waterway'...
in the northern part of the parish. In 1822 a new parish church, St Pancras New Church
St Pancras New Church
St Pancras Parish Church, sometimes referred to as St Pancras New Church to distinguish it from St Pancras Old Church, is a 19th century Greek Revival church in London, England.-Location:...
, on Euston Road
Euston Road
Euston Road is an important thoroughfare in central London, England, and forms part of the A501. It is part of the New Road from Paddington to Islington, and was opened as part of the New Road in 1756...
in the southern part of the parish, was consecrated, but it was intended mainly to serve the population in its immediate vicinity. In 1818 a Church Building Act had been passed by Parliament to facilitate the construction of new churches in London's many new districts, including this one for Camden Town.
William Inwood
William Inwood was an English architect, surveyor and writer on architecture.His father was bailiff to the Kenwood estate. He was the author of the Tables for the Purchasing of Estates, Freehold, Copyhold, or Leasehold, Annuities, &c. first published in 1811 and frequently revised and reprinted...
and Henry Inwood who were also responsible for St Pancras New Church
St Pancras New Church
St Pancras Parish Church, sometimes referred to as St Pancras New Church to distinguish it from St Pancras Old Church, is a 19th century Greek Revival church in London, England.-Location:...
. It is a fairly large building of yellow stock brick, with east and west ends faced in Portland stone
Portland stone
Portland stone is a limestone from the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. The quarries consist of beds of white-grey limestone separated by chert beds. It has been used extensively as a building stone throughout the British Isles, notably in major...
. The plan is basically rectangular, with an eastern apse mirrored by a semi-circular portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
at the west end. Just behind the portico is a cylindrical stone tower surrounded by columns, in imitation of the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates
Choragic Monument of Lysicrates
The Choragic Monument of Lysicrates near the Acropolis of Athens was erected by the choregos Lysicrates, a wealthy patron of musical performances in the Theater of Dionysus to commemorate the award of first prize in 335/334 BCE, to one of the performances he had sponsored...
in Athens. The Ionic order is based on fragments brought back from Greece by Henry Inwood and now in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
. The interior has a flat ceiling, with galleries on three sides supported by Ionic columns. The building has generally been praised, but both contemporary writers and later architectural critics such as Sir John Summerson
John Summerson
Sir John Newenham Summerson CH CBE was one of the leading British architectural historians of the 20th century....
have argued that the tower is too thin in proportion to the body of the church. It is a Grade I listed building.
It became a parish church in its own right in 1852. In the 19th century it had a large congregation, like many other Anglican churches in the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
: an 1854 survey of church attendance found that the number of worshippers was 1,650 on Sunday mornings, 630 on Sunday afternoons and 1,430 on Sunday evenings. In the 20th century the congregation decreased and in 1948 All Saints became a Greek Orthodox church, retaining its dedication while St Michael's
St Michael's Church, Camden Town
St Michael's Church is the main Anglican church for Camden Town.The congregation was begun in 1881 at a building nearby where a betting shop now stands; a service was held in the shop to begin the celebrations for the church's 125th anniversary in 2002....
in Camden Road took over the parish, becoming the main Anglican church in Camden Town. The area acquired a large Greek speaking community in the decades after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, mostly from Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, and the church is still well used, though many of the worshippers now come from the outer suburbs of London. In 1991 All Saints was raised to the status of a cathedral.
The church has been renovated a number of times. Most recently since January 2009 under the supervision of the National Trust and co-sponsored by the National Lottery and donations from the Greek Orthodox Community of the parish.