The Church of St. Barnabas is situated in the Addison-road, and can be seen with pleasing effect from the main road. In the distance the brickwork has a nice grey tone about it, and harmonises well with the stone dressings and tracery and the contrast of the mounting ivy round the pinnacled buttresses gives a picturesque appearance which is much assisted by pretty surrounding foliage. A nearer view, however, is somewhat disappointing as to architectural detail, in which it resembles the chapel of King’s College, Cambridge, which is generally considered the best example of perpendicular Gothic. The west elevation is worthy of description. The gable and pierced parapet partially conceal a low-pitched roof, which is flanked by open bell turrets. The centre of the gable is occupied by a large perpendicular window above the western entrance to the church. This consists of a centre and two side doors opening into a corridor or vestibule, giving access to the body of the building and to the galleries right and left. Flights of steps lead up to the several entrances, which are enclosed by rather lofty railings and gates. The interior, roofed in one span with sub-arcades or columns, is finished with a flat ceiling, relieved and pannelled by horizontal bands and kerbed ribs. Large galleries surround three sides of the church, and at the west end a double tier. At first sight these galleries look almost unsupported, the iron columns are so slender as well-nigh to escape observation. The body or ground floor is fitted with simple square pewing, divided by a centre and two side passages. Close to the western doors stands a bold font, a fair specimen of perpendicular work. The pulpit is tall and plain. The prayer-desk, lower and more ornate, is placed on the north side of a very simple chancel arch, before which the very handsome bronze eagle lectern stands slightly elevated. The chancel is a simple recess, and its entrance is occupied by stall benches. The front of the altar is pierced with tracery, which has a good effect. The east window is filled with stained glass of Georgian school design, strongly reminding us of the Church of St. Dunstan, Fleet-street, where there is a similar window.
Three windows on the north side and four on others are also filled with stained and quarried glass, with designs of a better school.
The organ, a fine instrument by Walker, is at the west end in the gallery, and well decorated.
It is now forty-three years since this church was consecrated, and during the last eighteen years it has been under the same incumbent, who has been one of the Kensington Clergy for nearly thirty years. It occupies a large district in the west of Kensington, and has itself, in progress of time, become a parent church to several others which have risen within its bounds. St. Philip’s and St. Matthias are districts formed out of it; and the more recent erection of St. John the Baptist’s Church in the Holland-road marks a still further development. It has also a separate appendage to itself in the “Church House” in the Warwick-gardens, which has been built to accommodate the surplus of its regular congregation, sanctioned by the Bishop, and served by its own clergy. Here invalids who cannot conveniently attend the larger congregation, and such as cannot for the present obtain accommodation there, are invited to attend. In point of fact it is altogether a separate church served by the Vicar of St. Barnabas and his curates. As, however, it is treated simply as an out-building of St. Barnabas—and is used for the transaction of its various parochial business—we must consider it as included with it.
St. Barnabas’ Church has accommodation for about 1,500, and its morning congregation averages from 1,200 to 1,400, looking well filled. The evening congregation, however, is much smaller, as a rule, as is the case with most West London churches. But we may attribute this partly to the existence of an afternoon service, at which there is public catechising, which is very fully attended. The church is daily open, and the Holy Communion is celebrated every Sunday. There is no High Church costume, or parade of surpliced choristers, but there is a most efficient choir, who fill the space in front of the organ in the end gallery. On the occasion of our visit, which was St. Barnabas’ day, June 11, the church’s annual Feast of Dedication, the performance consisted in a Gregorian and other much more pleasing chants in D and A, with hymns special to the occasion. The Gregorian strain never pleases; and seems to us adapted mainly to break up and destroy the natural form, music, and sense of the English tongue. There are three curates, who perform their subordinate parts in the service with great propriety and credit. Such only who could accomplish this would be at all in keeping with the character of the chief pastor. Dr. Hessey has a matured, well-cultured Christian mind, in addition to learning, and natural talent and taste for the duties of the pulpit. There is also a gravity and kindliness in his general manner and utterance which leaves one in no doubt as to the secret of his power. The sermon on the occasion of our visit was an anniversary one, and as being confined to a portion of appropriate historical Scripture (Acts xi, 26), did not offer scope for the full exercise of the preacher’s powers. Yet the evidence of their existence was there.
The clergy are supported chiefly by pew-rents, and there are offertories and collections for various charities, missions, and other objects. For the poor, for schools, missions, choir, incidental church expenses, the Bishop of London’s Fund, in aid of hospitals and other charities, there was raised altogether in 1870 704l. 11s. 10¼d. Out of this it is found impossible to provide for the heavier church expenses. A church-rate is also levied, to which it does not appear what response is made. We have reason, however, to believe that no large sum is thus collected, or the churchwardens would have been able to spend more on the decoration of the church. There is clearly room for considerable improvement here, and we hope there will be no great difficulty in providing means to carry out the church repairs which are so much needed. The whitewasher, painter, and grainer might in the interior be employed with good effect.
ST. JOHN’S CHURCH, NOTTING HILL.
A building set on a hill cannot be hid, and it is literally true of St. John’s Church; it is just on the crest, of Notting-hill, and may be seen from a great distance in the perspective of the long road, to the west of which it stands. Its effect is at first sight very good; the spire, however, rising at the intersection of the nave and transepts, appears too stunted, as if it had been drawn down several feet into the tower, a fault to be deplored in many instances. Built of stone and covered with slate, the early English detail, generally very good, the character of the style very truthfully retained, as shown by the chancel windows, the well-executed caps and bosses, and in the eastern triplet, make up a very excellent attractive whole. The plan of the church is cruciform, and is divided into a nave and aisles, north and south transepts, chancel and aisles, with a vestry at the N.E. angle. There are several large galleries, one at the west end, one in each of the transept and chancel aisles, which add very considerably to the accommodation for sittings. The organ is placed in the west gallery, and rather takes from a good perspective, as seen looking westward, the stone columns and plaster-moulded arcade giving a very poor effect; and the church generally supports some well-designed work in the clerestory, where oddly enough we find stone used again, though we cannot help feeling glad to see it, instead of the plaster work before referred to. The roof is high-pitched and open, of good design, but, owing to so little of the light of heaven illuminating the interior, we are unable to say much about it. The lancet windows are not enough to admit the cheering rays, and this is certainly a drawback; it gives to the church a gloomy appearance which it ought not really to have. Most of the windows are filled with stained glass, but of no good type, except the eastern subject, representing the Lord’s Supper. The font, close to the west door, is of simple design, and has the emblems of the Evangelists sculptured in relief on the bowl. The pulpit, too much like a large wineglass, is lofty, and blocks out the view, looking east. The pewing is very mean, and on a level with the pewing of the passages, which is not improving. Some simple wooden screens shut out the chancel from the aisles, and the table is plain and railed off. The diaper work painted on the chancel wall is well done and effective.