Letters
Threatened churches
Sir: Readers of Gavin Stamp's excellent ar- ticle on the threatened closure of St Bar- nabas, Pimlico (4 September) will be depressed to know that things are even worse in East London, where many chur- ches have been closed or unnecessarily demolished in the last 20 years. Three in Particular deserve mention and have Parallels with St Barnabas.
The first is St Philip's, Stepney, a fine church of 1883 by Arthur Cawston, of cathedral proportions. Described by John Retjeman as 'impressive, many-vistaed and Incense-laden', it was closed in 1978. St Augustine's, Haggerston, was always associated with the Oxford movement and Possessed fine fittings. It was the church of H.A. Wilson who wrote on East End subjects and was the author of the Hag- gerston Catechism. Though a listed building, it is now in a shocking state and surrounded by rubble — demolition looks very likely. Most tragic of all is the case of St Colum- a's, Kingsland Road. This church of 1869 is the finest of the works of James Brooks and the best Victorian building in Shoreditch. Again with a glorious Anglo- Catholic tradition, it now stands vast, emp- ty and decaying, a reproach to the powers Which closed it. 4.M. Harwood 2 Marne Avenue, London NI1
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