St Michael's Church, Camden Town

St Michael’s Church stands in Camden Town, a north London district built in the late 19th century. Designed by George Frederick Bodley and Thomas Garner, it is a Gothic Revival building of brick with stone dressings. The nave was finished in 1881 and the chancel added a decade later. A planned tower was never built, but the west front was restored in 2005. A small community garden with a war memorial lies beside the church. The interior is notable for its painted wagon ceiling that runs the length of nave and chancel. The high altar is framed by a stencilled reredos showing the Risen Christ, and seven lamps hang above. The north chapel has a ribbed vault and an Easter Sepulchre, while the south aisle contains the organ and a side chapel with a Calvary scene. Fourteen Stations of the Cross line both aisles, and a 19th-century font with an intricate cover stands at the west end. The church has long supported local social work, including ministry to the homeless and refugees. In 2003 it joined an old parish grouping with three other churches, though these are now independent again. The building houses a contemporary art installation behind the font, created by Maciej Urbanek for the Royal Academy. St Michael’s Primary School is linked to the parish, and the church remains Grade II* listed for its interior.