THE AUDSLEY CHURCHES

Copyright © 1999 by David H. Fox.  All Rights Reserved

The earliest known church designed by the Audsleys was the Welsh Church of Chester, which was built on the east side of Saint John Street in 1866 at a cost £8,000. .        "Contemporary British Architects," The Building News (7 Mar. 1890):336..        Kelly's Directory of Cheshire (London: Kelly & Co., Ltd., 1892), 185.  In his 1891 visitor's guide to the area, G. A. Audsley described the structure:

Nearly opposite the Free Library, on the eastern side of the street, stands the Chapel of the Welsh Calvinistic Methodists, a body which previously to the erection of this commodious building, worshipped in a humbler chapel in Common Hall Street.  The present Chapel was erected in 1866, from the plans and under the superintendence of Messrs. W. & G. Audsley, Architects of Liverpool (now of London).  In its architectural features it is very far in advance of any other Nonconformist [non Church of England] edifice in Chester, and, as such, deserves more than passing notice.  Its western front, which faces St. John Street, is built of a light grey sandstone, and presents an advanced open porch, having supporting columns of polished Peterhead granite, with elaborately carved capitals.  Bold arches spring from these capitals, and the porch is finished with a pierced parapet, from which project grotesque animals.  The porch projects from a handsome gable, containing in its centre a large circular window of elegant design and careful workmanship.  The whole is surmounted with a sort of floriated cross.  The style of architecture is French Gothic of the thirteenth century, fully treated.  The Chapel, which seats 700, was first opened for worship on Sunday, December 2nd, 1866, when Dr. L. Edwards, of Bala, preached the opening sermon. .        G. A. Audsley, The Stranger's Guide to Chester, Eton Hall, and Hawarden Castles and Vicinity (Chester: Catherall & Prichard, 1899), 138.

A second commission was completed just fifteenth months later.  This Welsh Presbyterian Church was located at 40 Prince's Road (corner of Upper Hill Street), Liverpool, and opened on 15 March 1868.  The commission was the result of a competition in which the W. & G. Audsley design surpassed fourteen others. .        Roger H. Harper, Victorian Architectural Competitions (London: Mansell Publishing, Ltd., 1983), 82.  The architectural press described it as being of Gothic style with strong early French influence in details.  The 1,100 seat building was "T"-shaped with 200-foot-high corner tower and spire.  It was constructed of gray Yorkshire stone with yellow sandstone details. .        "Building Intelligence," The Building News (20 Mar. 1868):201.

In his work on the architecture of Liverpool, Quentin Hughes described the church in 1969:

A fine example of full-blooded Gothic in the Decorated Revival style, with the usual pronounced individuality of the work of the Audsleys.  Its spikey silhouette is a feature of the street, an area full of splendid churches.  The interior is particularly impressive with all detailing carefully thought out, light-fittings, etc. are all part of the architects' brief. .        Quentin Hughes, Liverpool City Buildings Series (London: Studio Vistas, Ltd., 1969), 62.

The building has more recently been described as being "closed and derelict."

The benefaction of a Miss Colquitt led to the construction of the Audsley brother's first Anglican church in 1870.  A Pictorial and Descriptive Guide to Liverpool (London: Ward, Lock & Co., 1902), 144..        "Contemporary British Architects," The Building News (7 Mar. 1890):336..        "Building Intelligence," The Building News (5 Aug. 1870):104.  A detailed account of the work appeared in the 5 August 1870 issue of The Building News:

Christ Church, Kensington, on High Road to Fairfield, was consecrated by the Bishop of Chester on the 21st ult.  The church, which is Romanesque in style, consists of nave, 94 ft. long, 24 ft. wide, and 57 ft. high from floor to apex of roof, with aisles on either side 13 ft. 9 in. wide by 90 ft. long; choir and chancel, 32 ft. 3 in. long; north transept, 19 ft. by 18 ft.; the south transept being occupied as an organ chamber and vestry.  The nave is in five bays, the arches springing from piers of polished red granite, with Bath stone bases, heads, and capitals.  The reredos is of Caen stone, and consists of a series of ten arches resting on small columns of green Irish marble.  The roof of the church is open-timbered, and the whole of the church furniture, with the exception of the lectern, sedilia, and communion table (which are of oak), is of polished pitch pine, the seats being open.  The altar floor; chancel, and wall around the font have been laid with encaustic tiles by Mr. Oppenheim, of Manchester.  The hot-water apparatus is by Mr. Steward, of Lancaster, while the gas-fittings and all the ornamental ironwork of the church have been furnished by Messrs. Smith and Sons, of Birmingham.  Externally the church is built of ordinary grey brick, with Stourton stone bands and red and black bricks in bands and arches.  There is a tower and spire 150 ft. high at the west end.  Messrs. W. and G. Audsley, of Harrington Street, Liverpool, are the architects, the contractor being Mr. E. Hughes, of Miller's Bridge.  The cost, including site, will be about £10,000. .        "Building Intelligence," The Building News (5 Aug. 1870):104.

In addition to new construction, the Audsleys also accepted commissions for the renovation of older church buildings.  These "restorations" were often dictated by changing standards of comfort.  Until nearly the nineteenth century, little attempt was made to heat churches in winter.  The congregation had only the meager relief offered by portable footwarmers filled with hot coals.  The high walls of the box pews provided a shield against drafts and additionally served to assure attention by doubling as the straight backs of the seating.  The passing of the social order which treated box pews as private domains and the appearance of effective heating led to the installation of the bench-type pews common in churches today. .        Jane C. Nylander, "Utility and Comfort," in Peter Benes, ed., New England Meeting House and Church: 1630-1850, (Boston, Boston University, 1979), 86-100.

The Building News of 12 April 1872 gave an account of the project at the Parish Church of Bebington, Cheshire:

The parish church of Bebington, was reopened on Tuesday after restoration.  The edifice was built at three periods--the nave in the Norman, the south aisle of the nave and the tower and spire in the Decorated or Pointed, and the whole of the chancel and its aisles in the Perpendicular period.  From the chancel westward the building has undergone alterations at various times, a recent one being the construction of the north arcade and aisle, and the alteration of a portion of the original Norman arcade on the south side.  In the present restoration the fabric has not been altered in any way, the works being confined to cleaning the interior thoroughly, rendering it dry by asphalting the whole of the area under the floor, re-tiling, heating and ventilating, and seating throughout with neat open benches of oak, and constructing a choir and a chancel by screening the piers of the eastern portion of the interior.  The chancel tiles were made in Prussia from the designs of the architects.  The general contractors for the restoration were Messrs. Holme & Nicol of Liverpool.   The work has been carried out from he designs of Messrs. Audsley, architects of Liverpool. .        "Building Intelligence," The Building News (12 Apr. 1872):303.

Two additional restoration projects took place at the Lancashire parishes of Huyton and Prescot by 1890. .        "Contemporary British Architects," The Building News (7 Mar. 1890):336.

In 1873, the diminutive, but richly appointed, Saint Mary's Church was completed on the grounds of the Lancashire estate of Ellel Grange.  The Italianate manor house with tower was located about three miles southwest of Lancaster.

An account was provided by the 30 May 1873 issue of The Building News:

The new church of S. Mary, Ellel Grange, near Lancaster, was consecrated on the Feast of the Ascension.  The style is Early Thirteenth Century French, and the church is built of local stone, and internally finished throughout with Bath stone, relieved in the arches and other details with blue Burnley and red stone.  All the columns, both externally and internally, are of polished granite and red and green marbles.  The building consists of a nave with apsidal chancel, and organ-chamber projected southwards.  Entrance to the nave is obtained through the tower porch and richly arcaded vestibule.  The window at the west-end is filled with stained glass, representing scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary; and the side windows of the nave are of stained glass, on which are depicted the Miracles and Parables of our Lord.  The ceiling of the nave is of a pointed wagon [sic] form, richly decorated in colours and gold.  On the sixteen divisions between the main ribs are painted half length figures of the Evangelists and Apostles, bearing their emblems.  By a low marble wall and wrought iron and brass screen and gates, the chancel is divided from the nave, the chancel terminating eastward in a semicircular apse, pierced with seven lancet windows filled with brilliant stained glass, the medallions containing a complete series of subjects from the life of our Savior.  The floor is of marble and encaustic tiles, and the whole of the furniture is of richly worked oak, the lectern and communion-rails being of polished brass.  The ceiling is elaborately decorated, having a centre figure of our Lord in glory on the apse roof, and angles bearing emblems of the Passion on the choir ceiling.   Seat accommodation is provided for about 100 persons.  Adjoining the church, towards the south-west, is the mausoleum in the same style of architecture as the church.  Over the entrance is a sculptured subject, representing our Lord's Resurrection.  The designs are by Messers. W. and G. Audsley, architects, of Liverpool. .        "Building Intelligence," The Building News (30 May 1873):631.

Other religious structures designed by the Audsleys included the Welsh Presbyterian Church, 42 Chapel Road (near Russell Road), Garston, Lancashire.  It was constructed in 1868 for a congregation established in 1863.  The church, which seated 250-300, was extant in 1966. .        "Contemporary British Architects," The Building News (7 Mar. 1890):336.  

The Seion Chapel [Capel-y-Groes Welsh Presbyterian (Calvinistic Methodist)], Wrexham, Wales was completed by 1890, and replaced in 1981. .        "Contemporary British Architects," The Building News (7 Mar. 1890):336.

The only European building by the Audsleys outside of Britain was the "English Church" of Grasse, France. .        T. Scot Buhrman, "George Ashdown Audsley, LL.D.: An Appreciation," in G. A. Audsley, The Temple of Tone (New York, J. Fischer & Bro., 1925), 249.   This has been identified by H. B. Newman as the 1891 Eglise Anglican Reformé at Avenue Pierre Villier, Grasse. .        H. B. Newman, G. A. Audsley: Biography and Bibliography (1993), appendix II:ii.

Eglise Anglican Reforme, Grasse

 Courtsey of H. B. Newman

The Audsleys were also concerned to some extent with what went on within churches and, in 1868, published The Floral Decoration of Churches at Christmas.  Probably the worst examples of the tendency towards excessive decoration in the nineteenth century were the great vegetable glaciers which engulfed church chancels on festivals and holidays.  One parishioner was quoted as feeling somewhat like one of the Children of Israel, having received the Word of the Lord "from the bush."  As might be expected, the Audsleys favored floral decorations which would enhance the architecture, rather than obliterate it.  They recommended various wreaths, twinings about columns, and religious symbols formed of flowers and leaves.  Their preachments appear to have been largely ignored.