Roman Catholic Church of St Etheldreda and Attached Walls and Piers, Holborn and Covent Garden, London

Entry Name: Roman Catholic Church of St Etheldreda and Attached Walls and Piers

Listing Date: 24 October 1951

Grade: I

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1078287

English Heritage Legacy ID: 477180

Also known as: St Etheldreda's Church, Ely Place

ID on this website: 101078287

Location: Holborn, Camden, London, EC1N

County: London

District: Camden

Electoral Ward/Division: Holborn and Covent Garden

Parish: Non Civil Parish

Built-Up Area: Camden

Traditional County: Middlesex

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Greater London

Church of England Parish: St Alban Holborn

Church of England Diocese: London

Tagged with: Church building

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Description

CAMDEN

TQ3181NW ELY PLACE
798-1/102/380 (West side)
24/10/51 Roman Catholic Church of St
Etheldreda and attached walls &
piers

GV I

Roman Catholic chapel and crypt. Built c1300 as the chapel of
the town house of the Bishops of Ely. Restored 1874 by George
Gilbert Scott Jnr, 1935 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, c1944-52
following war damage and refitted 1960s. Ragstone with
limestone dressings.
PLAN: rectangular chapel over plain crypt.
EXTERIOR: single storey. 5 bays and entrance bay. Only east
elevation visible externally with 2 narrow late Geometrical
style windows to the crypt and, above, a large 5 light
elaborately traceried late Geometrical window (heavily
restored following war damage) with a tall, narrow, blind,
gabled and cusped arcade to either side and blind quatrefoil
window over. West window similar. Entrance in the western bay
of the south elevation with pointed archway and 3 moulded
orders.
INTERIOR: 2-light windows with pointed trefoil tracery to
north and south elevations with glass depicting scenes from
the Old & New Testaments by Charles Blakeman, 1952-8. West
window, depicting English martyrs also by Blakeman (1964).
East window of Christ in Majesty by Joseph Nuttgens, 1952.
Between windows on north and south elevations and left and
right of east and west windows, tall, narrow, blind, cusped
arcades with crocketed gables and statues of martyrs (May
Blakeman, 1962-4) on enriched corbels. Organ screen by Francis
Bentley. Crypt with C19 columns and London paving stone floor.
Glass 1960s by Charles Blakeman.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: attached stone walls to areas and gabled
stone gate piers.
HISTORICAL NOTE: the chapel formerly had octagonal turrets at
the 4 corners. During the reign of Elizabeth I the house and
chapel were temporarily confiscated but later returned and
remained in the see of Ely until 1722 when the house was
demolished and the chapel became a proprietary chapel. After
passing through several hands it was bought in 1874 by the
Rosminian Fathers.

Listing NGR: TQ3141181673

External Links

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