St Faith's Church
St Faith’s church was initially a mission church of St. Paul’s, built to serve the growing population of the northern part of the parish.
St. Faith was an early Christian martyr, who was very popular in the Middle Ages; there has been a chapel dedicated to her in St. Paul’s Cathedral since the thirteenth century, so this may perhaps explain the dedication. A curate of St Paul’s, Rev W A Hewett, started the mission from a rented house in Windmill Road, and by 1903 a temporary church had been erected.
The foundation stone of the permanent church was laid on 23 June 1906 by the Rev William Strachey-Clitherow of Boston Manor (who also donated the ‘eagle’ lectern to the church). St Faith’s was consecrated by the Bishop of London on 13 July 1907. The cost of this large church (to seat 654) was only £8,447 (including fittings). St Faith’s became a separate parish in December 1907.
The architect of St Faith’s was G F Bodley RA (1827-1907) perhaps working with Cecil Hare (1875-1933) who took over his office after his death, and who was recorded as completing the furnishing of the church.
St Faith’s, with its monumentality, noble simplicity and refinement, is a worthy representative of the final phase of the Gothic Revival, dedicated to the building of large churches closely suited to an urban environment. Bodley was regarded on his death as one of the finest executants of this style, and St Faith’s was in fact the last substantially completed commission by the architect before his death in October 1907.
Notable works by Bodley in London are the church of St Michael’s, Camden Town (1878-1894); St John the Baptist, Epping (1898-1909); and Holy Trinity, Kensington (1901-1907). The architectural historian Michael Hall has attributed the design of the pulpit, font and east window of St Faith’s to Bodley; the execution of the stained glass in the latter was by the firm of Burlison and Grylls, who also executed the small window in the baptistery.
The side chapel includes an altar from the chapel of St James’s Palace, and delicate stained glass by Sir Ninian Comper. The organ is by William Hill and was brought from the closed church of St Paul’s, Great Portland Street, London.