St Andrew, Stoke Newington

St Andrew, Stoke Newington, is a Grade II* listed Anglican parish church on Bethune Road in Stamford Hill (on the border of Stoke Newington), in the London Borough of Hackney, England. The church, which is dedicated to St Andrew, is located at the junction of Bethune Road and Dunsmure Road in London N16.

History


A temporary iron church was established on Manor Road in 1876. On 23 September 1883 the parish of Stoke Newington, St Andrew was created from parts of the parishes of Saint Mary, Stoke Newington and Saint Thomas, Upper Clapton. It was one of several Hackney parishes listed by Charles Booth on his 1898–99 Poverty Map.

The new parish's church, consecrated on 11 October 1884, was designed by Arthur Blomfield.

The church's records, from 1883 to 1977, are held at the London Metropolitan Archives.

Features
The interior is particularly striking, and features the extensive use of murals, mostly by the Victorian designers Heaton, Butler and Bayne. Most of the murals have been painted directly onto the walls; only those at high level in the chancel are marouflage. The reredos paintings are on mahogany and portray the Crucifixion and the Apostles. The murals on the walls of the nave depict the life of Jesus from the Annunciation to the Ascension. Figures from the Old Testament and the New Testament are in the chancel above the string course.

Heaton, Butler and Bayne also designed most of the stained glass in the church's windows. The windows on the south side of the church did not survive damage by a bomb on 18 July 1944, during the Second World War. The east window, dating from 1951, is by the Scottish stained glass artist William Wilson.

The great west window was designed by Burlison and Grylls, largely as a First World War memorial, and was dedicated in 1919. It was rededicated on 15 November 2015 by the Bishop of Stepney, the Rt Revd Adrian Newman, at a celebration marking the completion of the first phase of the ongoing repairs to St Andrew's Church.

The church also includes an unusual First World War memorial listing those from the parish who served and returned. It has been restored and is now hung in its original position at the east end of the north aisle.

The font, designed by Blomfield in alabaster, dates from 1884. Blomfield also designed the pulpit.

The organ is by Walker and Sons.

Current activities
St Andrew's has a small faithful and diverse congregation.

St Andrew's received a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2014 to replace the roofs over the south aisle and south nave. Crumbling stonework and the west window have also been repaired. The chancel and north nave and aisle roofs remain to be done and substantial repairs are also required to the east window.

Services
The church's style of worship is liberal catholic. Parish Eucharist is held on Sundays at 10:30am, followed by tea, coffee and biscuits. Seeking Stillness is a time for meditation, silence and prayer is on Thursdays at 8pm. Children and young people are welcomed and celebrated. The first Sunday of the month is an All Age Eucharist where different people help to lead. And we also have ALL Age Church on the 3rd Sunday of the month at 2-3.30pm which is interactive worship with craft, bible story, games and food. The priest in charge is the Revd Charis Enga.