St Edward the Confessor

Introduction

St Edward the Confessor Church in Golders Green is a substantial brick-built building in a Perpendicular Gothic style of East Anglian character, dominated by a square lantern-tower over the nave crossing.

History

In 1908 Father William Bendon arrived in Golders Green as chaplain to the Carmelite Sisters, and a chapel within their Monastery served as an interim mass centre until the site for a new mission church was acquired in July 1909. The dedication to St Edward the Confessor was deemed appropriate because the site was part of lands given by St Edward to the Benedictines. The first buildings were the Presbytery and a temporary chapel, soon replaced by St Edward's Hall (1911), built at a cost of £1,000 and accommodating 300 people.

The present church was built to the designs of Arthur Young at a cost of £10,000 to the congregation, and Cardinal Bourne laid the foundation stone on 25 March 1914. The opening was postponed due to a Zeppelin raid on 8 September 1915, and the church was finally opened by the cardinal on 13 October 1915, the Feast Day of St Edward the Confessor. Father Bendon died in 1920 and was buried in Finchley cemetery, but was later reinterred outside the south wall of the church, over which was placed an inscribed stone erected by the parishioners.

The church was consecrated by Bishop Butt on the feast of St Edward in 1930. The high altar, with figures of the Four Evangelists, was installed in 1922, followed by the carved stone reredos, installed in 1925 to designs by Arthur Young; it is dedicated to the memory of Father Bendon and cost £1,200. The Lady Altar was installed in 1924. Ornamental carved stonework to the façade was by Joseph Armitage and the leaded glazing by A E Sedding.

The church was repaired and redecorated in 1960 following an arson attack which damaged the sacristy and part of the church interior. St Edward's Shrine was installed in 1997. The church's war memorial east window was installed in 1947 as a memorial to parishioner Captain Michael Allmand VC.

Architecture and furnishings

The church has a cruciform plan comprising a 4-bay nave flanked by north and south aisles, with a square tower over the crossing and a sanctuary flanked by side chapels. At the apex of the west front is a stone rood carving by Joseph Armitage. The crossing tower rises to almost 80 feet, clasped at the corners by half-engaged turrets and having chequer-work crenellated parapets. The nave features a timber waggon ceiling with ornamental bosses carved by Alfred Robinson.

The sanctuary has a timber waggon roof with stone wall shafts and two pointed arched openings on each side, rising to large carved and painted timber angels and having brass screens to side chapels. The Stations of the Cross are oil on canvas in timber frames. The church is built of purple-brown brick with Bath Stone dressings and brick-tiled roof coverings. The west elevation has two slim projecting octagonal towers with chequered flushwork beneath crenellated parapets, a central pointed entrance doorway, and a five-light pointed window with elaborate cusped tracery and leaded lattice glazing.

The church has an organ gallery with a narthex beneath at the west end of the nave. The nave is lined by four-bay arcades of moulded pointed arches on clustered stone shafts with moulded capitals and bases. The crossing space has tall pointed arches on shafted responds and an upper gallery with a decorative parapet of pierced stone. The sanctuary has elaborate carved timber clergy stalls.

There is a carved figure of St Edward the Confessor over the sacristy door. The church seating consists of timber benches, replacing the original chairs.