Remarks upon the proposed destruction of the tower of the Parish Church of St. John, Hampstead — John Shaqi
Remarks upon the proposed destruction of the tower of the Parish Church of St. John, HampsteadScott, George Gilbert, Sir
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Remarks upon the proposed destruction of the tower of the Parish Church of St. John, Hampstead
Scott, George Gilbert, Sir
Church architecture -- England -- London; St. John's Parish Church (Hampstead, London, England)
There is one simple and sufficiently obvious plan by which the
requirements of the case may be satisfactorily met. It is most desirable
to secure a properly arranged chancel. To do this without loss of
accommodation the church must be enlarged, but instead of adding to it
toward the east, involving, as this does, the destruction of the Tower,
and the costly expenditure of erecting a new one, the obvious thing is to
extend it westward.
There is ample space for such an enlargement, and there are at least two
modes in which this may well be carried out.
The simplest is to remove the galleries, or at least a portion of them,
and to form a chancel by screening off the two eastern bays of the
present nave, or even three if desired. Many of our finest ancient
churches has their chancels arranged upon this system. I may mention, as
well known examples, the churches of Grantham and Newark, and the noble
church of St. Michael at Coventry.
To provide for the loss of accommodation involved in the removal of the
galleries and the formation of a proper chancel, the nave should be
extended westward. It will be found that the addition of a second
western transept of the same size as the present one would give the
required number of seats, and if thought desirable, a western aisle, or
narthex, might be added beyond the new transept, giving an opportunity
for a Baptistry in its correct position, and of effective design.
This plan has the great advantage of interfering to the smallest possible
extent with existing graves. A certain portion of the ground required
for this extension is already occupied by a terrace, and the fall of the
ground is such, that the whole of the new work might be built on arches,
or upon vaults enclosing the few interments which occur in that part of
the church-yard. If more room be required, the existing transept might
be extended some 10 feet, north and south, without any interference with
graves, and the new building would be widened by the same amount.
This question of graves seems to me of the utmost importance, and it has
not, apparently received the attention which it deserves. This
consideration, by itself, is fatal to the plan of an eastward extension
of the church, the ground to the east of the building being perfectly
full of interments.
I have said that it might be necessary to retain a portion at least of
the existing galleries. I confess I should greatly deplore this
necessity, and I doubt whether it really exists.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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