Description

ISLINGTON

TQ3183NE UPPER STREET 635-1/59/882 (East side) 20/09/54 Church of St Mary (Formerly Listed as: UPPER STREET Tower of St Mary's Church)

II

Anglican church. The original church of 1751-54 by Launcelot Dowbiggin; portico added 1903; all but the tower and portico rebuilt after bomb damage, 1955-6, to the designs of Seely and Paget. Brick set in Flemish bond, and stone; roof obscured by parapet. West front and east end of three bays, sides of eight bays, the easternmost projecting. Portico to all three western bays with coupled Ionic columns and engaged Ionic antae; modillion cornice; central segmental pediment with low-relief Nativity scene; outer bays with parapet and balustrade. Central flat-arched entrance to the church with stone bolection-moulded architrave and panelled doors; blank windows with similar architraves to either side. At gallery level, round-arched windows with stone architraves and keystones, the middle bay projecting with pediment; chamfered quoins and modillion cornice; brick parapet to side bays with stone coping. The tower of two stages with chamfered quoins and stone band between stages; the first stage has a clock under a segmental pediment on all but the east side; the belfry has louvred windows with eared architraves and keystones; modillion cornice. Four stone urns rest on the four corners of the tower and an octagonal balustrade surrounding the spire which rises through octagonal and circular-arcaded stages to a tapering octagon. On the side elevations, all architraves of stone; two windows to the westernmost bay; then full-height flat-arched windows to the next six; then a full-height tripartite window to the last, projecting, bay. The east end has windows in the outer bays and a cruciform design in stone in the middle bay; cornice and parapet continue from west front. INTERIOR: : there is virtually a single space for worship with small 'transepts' either side of the chancel; dado panelling throughout, the walls above lined with cork; coffered ceiling. The chancel and transepts are defined by fluted columns of grey marble with gilded palm leaf capitals; reredos in the form of a plain gilded cross surrounded by painted panels on the theme of 'The Eight Attributes of Christ' by Brian Thomas, with a border of gilded paterae; altar table, communion rails and pulpits in an C18 manner with carved and gilded scrolling foliage. Organ gallery at west end carried on wooden Tuscan columns which carried the galleries in the former church, with central painted panel of 'Christ the Judge' by Brian Thomas. (Tom Hornsby: Of people buildings and a faith [church guide to St Mary's]: Gloucester).

Listing NGR: TQ3174483875

External Links

• St Mary's Church at Wikipedia
• St Mary's Church official website
• Wikidata Q7594355

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)