St Augustine's Church, Derby

St Augustine’s Church stands in a quiet Derby street, a red-brick parish church built for railway workers in the late 19th century. Its nave was finished in 1898 and consecrated by the Bishop of Southwell, George Ridding. The south aisle followed in 1905 and the oak-lined chancel opened in 1910, dedicated by Bishop Edwyn Hoskins. The architects Naylor and Sale designed the building, while local firms Tomlinson and Chattle carried out the work. In 1996 four smaller parishes joined to form the new Walbrook Epiphany parish centred on St Augustine’s. The church is worth the journey for its fine Arts-and-Crafts oak fittings and its pipe organ. The organ was installed in 1910 by J.H. Adkins and remains in place, though an electronic instrument is used today. The opening harmonium was replaced in 1900 by a Noble pipe organ, reflecting the growing musical life of the parish. The foundation stone was laid by Michael Bass, 1st Baron Burton, and the first sod was cut by Henry Howe Bemrose MP. Inside, the nave leads to the south aisle and the richly panelled chancel. The oak choir stalls and reredos were made by Mattyn and Company of Cheltenham. The walls carry simple memorial tablets to the railway workers who once filled the pews. Outside, the red-brick façade and lancet windows sit quietly among terraced houses, offering a calm space in the heart of Derby.