Our Lady and St Catherine of Siena, Bow

Introduction

The Church of Our Lady and St Catherine of Siena in Bow is a stone-built Gothic-Revival church, originally built in 1869-70 to designs by Gilbert Blount, extended in 1882 by Alfred E Purdie, and partially rebuilt c1950 by John E Sterrett. The church is listed Grade II, first listed on 22-May-2017.

History

The foundation stone of the church was laid by Manning in 1869 and the building was later opened by him in November 1870. In 1882, Blount's pupil and assistant Alfred E Purdie (1843-1920) added a large eastern extension to form a nuns' choir, now called the Lady Chapel. In 1923, the Dominican sisters departed for Stone (Staffordshire) and the church was transferred to the Diocese of Westminster. The nave was rebuilt as a faithful reconstruction of the original, under the supervision of architect JE Sterrett and utilising Kentish ragstone, with dressings of Portland stone.

Original plans by Blount indicate that the church incorporated the earlier nuns' chapel. Following the departure of the nuns, the convent adjoining the church became the presbytery. At some time, the metal altar rails were removed.

Architecture and furnishings

The reredos was designed by Blount and made by Farmer and Brindley (installed 1874). The five-light Decorated east window was made by Hardman in 1901 and depicts Our Lady flanked by St Peter, St Catherine, St Thomas and St Patrick. The organ by Norman, Hill & Beard came from Holloway Prison, Islington. The nave roof timbers are Glulam, an engineered wood product comprising multiple layers of timber bonded together with structural adhesives.

The church features a fine trademark south wheel window. The interior has particularly high quality work at the north end, including a finely carved reredos, a high altar in its original position, and Hardman's stained glass window. The frontal of the high altar depicts the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes. The walls are of Kentish ragstone with Portland stone dressings, beneath a slate roof.

The church is longitudinal in plan with the main altar, east-west transept and sacristies to the north. The gabled south front has a large wheel window with female figurative carvings in the lower spandrels, within a semi-circular arched opening. The south-western porch has a pointed-arched entrance surmounted by a niche with a statue of Our Lady. The chancel is abutted by a lower M-profile sacristy, above which sits a five-light window with three trefoil lights.

The Lady Chapel to the east is gabled and has a wide six-light round headed window to the upper section, and two transomed tripartite gothic windows at ground level. The south window has a stained glass panel in the central multifoil depicting the Sacred Heart (c1950s). The aisleless, six-bay nave has an open, Glulam arch-braced roof structure, supported on metal wall plates. The three-bay chancel is narrower than the nave and has a timber rib vaulted ceiling.

The five-sided stone and marble pulpit is set against the west side of the chancel arch. On either side of the chancel arch are canopied stone niches with statues of St Joseph and Our Lady. The C20 stone forward altar has some blind tracery. Three pointed arches on two polished Aberdeen granite columns lead into the Sacred Heart chapel.

On the east side of sanctuary, two pointed arches with a central red sandstone column of clustered shafts open into the Lady Chapel. The nave seating consists of oak pews from a 1990s refurbishment (Irish Contract Seating). The narthex, central alley, and part of the transept have Victorian tiled floors, as do the sanctuary and the Sacred Heart chapel. The Stations of the Cross are conventional modern reliefs.

Notable people and events

Blount began his career as a civil engineer under Isambard Kingdom Brunel, working as superintendent of the Thames Tunnel works. There is a marble plaque to the Rev W O’Brien (parish priest 1921-26).