St Augustine's, Kilburn

St Augustine’s stands in Kilburn, a busy part of North London, and is a large Church of England church built in the Gothic Revival style. Its red-brick walls and tall spire rise above the surrounding streets, giving it the local nickname ‘the Cathedral of North London’. The church was designed by John Loughborough Pearson and completed in 1880, though the spire was added later in 1897–98. Historic England lists it as a Grade I building, recognising its national importance. The interior is richly decorated with stone carvings, vaulted ceilings and elaborate religious art. Two schools share the site, St Augustine’s Primary and St Augustine’s High, both linked to the church’s long history. The church was founded in 1870 by Richard Carr Kirkpatrick in the Anglo-Catholic tradition after he left St Mary’s, Kilburn. Kirkpatrick also helped establish the Community of the Sisters of the Church in 1870, with Emily Ayckbowm as its first sister. Later vicars included William Percy Theodore Atkinson and Anthony Hugh Yates, who served for sixteen years until 2011. The building’s fame grew when its interior appeared in films such as Young Sherlock Holmes and Highlander. More recently, scenes for the Netflix series Black Doves were filmed inside during a Christmas service. Inside, the nave is nine metres wide with nine bays and a crossing marked by north and south transepts. The stained glass windows by Clayton and Bell show biblical stories, including a large rose window of the Creation and figures of English saints. Paintings around the nave illustrate Christ’s healing ministry, while the chancel is surrounded by carvings of the Passion and Resurrection. The Lady Chapel contains frescoes of the Christ child and later carvings of Christ’s Presentation in the Temple. The south transept leads to St Michael’s Chapel, decorated with images of the Eucharist and angelic worship.