Church of St Andrew and adjoining church hall, Harrow, London

Summary

A church designed by Cyril Farey and John Adams and completed by Michael Farey and Adams after his father's death. The foundation stone was laid in 1956 and the church was consecrated in 1957 by the Bishop of Willesden.The church features a set of stained glass windows designed by Max Nauta on the theme of the Love of God.

Description

A church designed by Cyril Farey and John Adams and completed by Michael Farey and Adams after his father's death. The foundation stone was laid in 1956 and the church was consecrated in 1957 by the Bishop of Willesden. The church features a set of stained glass windows designed by Max Nauta on the theme of the Love of God.

MATERIALS AND PLAN: the church and aligned church hall are contiguous and can be joined or separated by the folding of a screen of full height at the western end of the church. Both spaces have a concrete portal frame with yellow brick infill laid in stretcher bond and box-framed windows with metal frames. The church has an apsidal eastern end and side aisles with a tower set above a porch to the western end of the northern side. A Lady Chapel is placed at the eastern end of the southern aisle. Along the southern side of the building is a vestry and choir lobby with kitchen which can be accessed from both the church and hall.

EXTERIOR: the north side of the building has the projecting tower to right of centre. The entrance at ground level has double doors with a cambered head leading to a porch. Above this portal is a statue by Darsie Rawlins in relief and projecting from the wall, showing St Andrew in the prow of a boat gathering in fishing nets. The upper, belfry stage of the tower has louvred openings to each side and a helm spire clad in zinc with a cross finial. A staircase turret adjoins the lower body of the western side of the tower, and the northern aisle of the church abuts the lower eastern side. Aisle windows to both sides of the building have projecting concrete, box frames with cambered heads. The nave has six bays, each represented externally by a single aisle window and a cluster of three clerestory windows. The apsidal east end has five sides with a central star window above the altar, flanked by tall lancets. The church hall, which continues the line of the church, also has seven bays of portal framing and metal-framed windows.

INTERIOR: the church is divided from the church hall by a screen which can be folded away into a storage bay to the east of the hall entrance. The portal frame is common to both spaces, with clear glass windows to the hall and stained glass to the church at both aisle and clerestory levels. The same concrete frames are used to form the five bays of the apsidal eastern end. The aisles have cross-axial segment vaults.

FITTINGS: the church houses a notable set of stained glass windows designed by Max Nauta. The overarching theme is a depiction of the Love of God for Humanity as shown in Old and New Testament stories and a new creation emerging from destruction. Representations include biblical characters and the lives of historic figures, amongst them the Stoning of Steven; The Prodigal Son; Jacob's Dream; St Paul. New Testament and modern images include St Veronica; Christ blessing the Children and Florence Nightingale. The tall lancets in the chancel show St Melitus, St Andrew, St Alban and St Anselm. The star-shaped window above the altar shows Christ Triumphant.

Additionally, the church contains original fittings, including the altar rails and chancel steps and the font, which bears an inscription showing it to be a gift from Michael Farey and John Adams, commemorating the life of the designer of the church, Cyril Farey. The organ, set in an opening to the tower, above the porch entrance, is also an original fitting, designed by NP Mander and the tower contains a carillon, playing eight bells.

Pursuant to s1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (‘the Act’) it is declared that the vicarage and the corridor by which it is joined to the church at its eastern end and the seperate youth centre building to the west of the church hall are not of special architectural or historic interest.

History

The expanding population in the borough caused a new parish of St Andrew to be formed from parts of the existing Harrow parishes of St Alban and St Peter. Funding came mainly from the War Damage Commission and local families in the surrounding streets for whom the new building was designed as a community focus which would answer their social, cultural and spiritual needs. The new church complex was designed by Cyril Farey and the work was completed by his son, Michael Farey and their partner John Adams, following his death. The church benefitted from an endowment made under the War Repayments scheme with regard to the church of St Stephen Poplar, which had been destroyed but had been richly decorated with stained glass windows. The sum of £4,000 was allocated with the proviso that it be spent on stained glass for the new church and a full set of stained glass was designed for the building by the Dutch artist Max Nauta. The church was also gifted the pulpit from the Church of St Mary, Fore Street, Lower Edmonton and five of the eight bells which form the present carilllon, which came from St Thomas', Bethnal Green. The building was opened in October 1957 by the Bishop of Willesden. The vicarage with verger's flat was not included on the architectural perspective watercolour painted by Cyril Farey, but is shown on the Ordnance Survey map published in 1960. A study was added to the vicarage in the later C20. The separate St Andrew's Youth Centre, which lies to the west of the church hall, and is not part of this case, was built in 1965.

Reasons for Listing

The Church of St Andrew, Roxbourne and its adjoining church hall are listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* the building makes bold structural use of portal frames to form the church and hall which can be joined to form one large space;
* the inclusion of works of art including Darsie Rawlins’ prominent sculpture of St Andrew and Max Nauta’s series of stained glass windows which fill the aisle, sanctuary and clerestory windows.

Historic interest:

* community use of the building was central to its planning and demonstrates advanced thinking about the role of the church within its neighbourhood after the Second World War and the concept of the ‘church-centre’ as outlined by Knapp-Fisher and Edward Mills in their books on church design.

External Links

Historic England Listing

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