page_title: Church architecture in England
section_title: Gothic Revival
hierarchical_section_title: Church architecture in England / Gothic Revival
caption_attribution_description: English: All Saints Church, Margaret Street
context_page_description: Church architecture of England refers to the architecture of buildings of Christian churches in England. It has evolved over the two thousand years of the Christian religion, partly by innovation and partly by imitating other architectural styles as well as responding to changing beliefs, practices and local traditions. Christian architecture encompasses a wide range of both secular and religious styles from the foundation of Christianity to the present day, influencing the design and construction of buildings and structures in Christian culture. From the birth of Christianity to the present, the most significant period of transformation for Christian architecture and design was the Gothic cathedral.
context_section_description: In the nineteenth century, in England as elsewhere, more money became available for new churches. Gothic revival styles became popular and as urban populations grew, major neo-Gothic churches were built to accommodate them. The passing of the Catholic Relief Act allowed the construction of new churches for England's Roman Catholics, and these were also done in the neo-Gothic style. Finally, this style, in a modified form, was also used for the design of Methodist and other Nonconformist churches, which were also increasing in number during this time.
  The usage of tracery, buttresses with carved pinnacles, tiled roofs and glazing formed one feature of church architecture in the Victorian era, while a deep chancel, with an arch and crucifix, formed another. Although this was not unusual for Roman Catholic churches, it seemed alien to the Church of England, but was nevertheless adopted.
  During this time, individual architects began to make their influence felt on the churches they built in England. One of the earliest was Augustus Pugin, who designed Roman Catholic churches; however, few of his works are appreciated today except for St Giles' Church at Cheadle in Staffordshire.
  Architects of the mid-Victorian era who brought the Gothic style to perfection, both in church interiors and church exteriors, included William Butterfield and George Gilbert Scott. Two notable churches by the respective architects are the church of All Saints, Margaret Street in London and All Souls Church in Halifax, West Yorkshire.
  The later Victorian era saw the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement, and the churches of this period returned to the less flamboyant styles of the early nineteenth century. The finest churches were often funded by private individuals. Notable architects of this time included George Frederick Bodley, whose most distinguished design is St Mary's Church at Eccleston in Cheshire, and Richard Norman Shaw, whose masterpiece is the Church of St Michael and All Angels in Bedford Park, London.
caption: All Saints Margaret Street, London
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