St Luke's Kentish Town

St Luke’s Kentish Town stands on Oseney Crescent in the London Borough of Camden. It is an active Church of England parish church, built in the 19th century and now run as a church plant by Holy Trinity Brompton. The building is listed Grade II* by English Heritage, recognising its architectural importance. Its exterior mixes red brick with stone dressings and a North German-style saddleback tower. The nave has four bays with narrow aisles, and the chancel sits beneath the tower in Early English revival style. The church is worth visiting for its history and craftsmanship. Basil Champneys, aged 25, designed it after winning the commission over the original architect John Johnson. The east windows were made by Heaton, Butler and Bayne to designs by Henry Holiday. Later, Morris & Co added windows based on Edward Burne-Jones and John Henry Dearle. A Willis organ was installed in 1893, and the brass eagle lectern came from St Paul’s after war damage. Inside, the walls are exposed red brick with stone bands and low cylindrical pillars support the nave arcades. The floor is paved with red and black tiles, leading up three steps to the brick-vaulted chancel and six more to the sanctuary. The polygonal apse and pointed paired windows give the interior a calm, ordered feel. The church’s setting on Oseney Crescent offers a quiet contrast to nearby Camden’s busy streets.